Drugstore/Grocery Chat Thread

This year I used some of my newly acquired hair dye late late at night (like 2 am) on the 31st. I had taken half a sleeping pill and some Benadryl and wasn't my best self. I wanted to go redder (inspired by Stephanie Ruhle's hair) but for some dumb reason I only did the roots, because they were gray. I have entered the new year with starkly two-tone hair.

In this day and age, your two tone hair will likely not even turn heads.

Something I realized today, while I don't miss chasing the deals, and HAVING to shop to spend ecbs or other rewards by an expiration date, I do miss getting out there. I miss the employees and the feeling of accomplishment when I find a way to make a deal work at a low out of pocket cost or a high reward for what I've spent. I also miss being out there to see the markdowns that aren't necessarily getting discussed.

I'm not going back, but it is ok to miss something that made you feel good and rewarded.

Vons and CVS were empty here. Costco is always a zoo. At my local Costco, it's a 10 minute wait to get in the door and another 5 minutes to get to the toilet paper.

Before we became empty nesters, we had a Costco or Sam's membership most years. We have a Costco about 5 minutes away, but with only two of us and my stash of paper goods from my CVS/Walgreens days, it's hard to justify having a membership. A very nice neighbor who was recommending a product Costco had recently picked up a package for us this past week and has offered to pick things up on an as needed basis. It is hard to know, though, which items I want when I haven't been there in so long.

It's easy to spend hours at Costco if you don't go very often and are used to CVS prices. I'm probably one of those shopper's the monkeydawn hates lol but I don't get to go to Costco very often (no bus service and it's too far to walk) and it's like a treasure hunt when I do go. I have to set a budget before I go in and stick to it otherwise I'll go home broke.

The best thing about Costco is that you don't need a stupid app. Speaking of which, Ibotta stock was down 66% in 2025. Clearly, digital couponing isn't working. 2026 will be a great year if Ibotta goes out of business. I'll party like it's 1999...

I guess I don't get the appeal.

The reason I hate it is it's freezing cold in there and this was when it wasn't even that terribly cold outside. I'm not sure they have any heat on. There are huge heaters blowing right inside the doors but the temp in the store itself has to be in the 40's. I felt so bad for the folks doing samples - they were dressed in heavy jackets, knit hats and one even had a scarf on. It took me a couple of hours to warm up after leaving the store and I ended up finding nothing I wanted to buy.

The appeal is that Costco has my back. I can get what I want at the price I want and I don't have to do an in-store pick-up, clip digital coupons, or use an app to do it. It's a huge benefit to seniors like me.

I get what you are saying, but I'm also a senior with very limited (getting more so all the time) mobility so the crowded parking lot is also a real problem for me. Forget about finding an available handicap spot - I guess lots of seniors shop there. Last time I went, hubby was driving and we drove around for a while in the lot, finally found a spot quite a ways from the entrance, so he went into the store to find an electric cart for me. And of course, they were all gone so he waited. Not sure how long it was, but if I had been him I would have given up as it seemed like forever. Finally, he came back to the car with found cart and then I was able to go into the store. Unfortunately, like I said it was soooooo cold, I would have been warmer staying out in the car which is saying quite a lot here in Minnesota in early December.

As far as the whole digital coupon thing goes, that doesn't really work for me either as I still do not and have never had a cell phone. I'm so glad we moved to an area with no drug stores besides two Walgreens (neither very close to us) before a lot of the digital stuff started as I doubt I would have had an easy time with it. Just not something I'm interested in learning at my age. I also don't like how for so many things one needs to have an 'app'. Reminds me years ago when my MIL complained about everything being a '.com' and she had no clue as she never touched a computer. I think I now know how she felt.

Speaking of coupons, I just looked in one of my old coupon boxes to see if there was anything in there to toss now that 2025 was over. There was nothing, not a single coupon with an expiration date. The only paper coupons I still have are some old ones that had 'no expiration' on them; some for products I don't even think exist anymore. I wonder if most would even work anymore. I can't remember the last time I 'clipped' a paper coupon or even found one on a product or tear pad.

Oh well, life will go on. Doesn't mean I have to deal with all the changes. I'm at the age where I like to do things the way I've always done them which I guess is now old-fashioned.

Happy New Year! Looks like I'm the only one sad to see 2025 go. My husband and I both turned 50 and with my health issues it wasnt a foregone conclusion that I would see 50 so we celebrated the hell out of the year. 26 is my lucky number so I am hoping the good times continue for us. Hope everyone else has a brighter 2026 too!


Wee live in a beach town. Our rentals here mostly go Saturday to Saturday. Costco on changeover day (Saturday) is an absolute madhouse. But heres the thing, they keep their level 1 employees there on Saturday, that helps so much. The other big factor is that no one visiting wants to spend their vacation in Costco so there is no dawdling. Everyone wants out as fast as possible. I will take Saturday here over any random weekday where its plugged up with a bunch of seniors and soccer moms with no where to be for hours. The biggest issue on Saturday is parking. Might be parking a half a mile away. lol



Our Costco is hardcore about entering without a card. Assuming yours is more like mine than yensshopper, you can always have your neighbor buy you a gift card. That gift card will entitle you to look around. At ours you have to go to guest servics and get a paper temporary membership to use the gift card.

While we are on the topic of Costco, if you like garlic bread and citrus do yourself a favor and pickup a tub of Noom (refrigerated section near the queso at ours). It is technically a dip but makes the BEST garlic bread. One day I was feeling fancy and made a grilled cheese with the Noom. I briefly considered divorcing my husband and marrying this grilled cheese.

It sounds like I may the only person who hates Costco and don't plan to go back even though we have a membership. Husband got it to get two new batteries for each of our cars and now both he and our son use it for gas.

The reason I hate it is it's freezing cold in there and this was when it wasn't even that terribly cold outside. I'm not sure they have any heat on. There are huge heaters blowing right inside the doors but the temp in the store itself has to be in the 40's. I felt so bad for the folks doing samples - they were dressed in heavy jackets, knit hats and one even had a scarf on. It took me a couple of hours to warm up after leaving the store and I ended up finding nothing I wanted to buy.

I guess I don't get the appeal.

Replying over here to Missusg's post in the Safeway thread. Others said making yogurt was easy, but didn't explain. Also, the ingredients almost certainly will cost less than ready-made. I haven't made any for awhile, but was making it pretty regularly when 1/2 gallon of milk was under $1 on sale. If you have an instantpot, that probably would work well, but I don't, so can't speak to that. An instant read or candy thermometer is helpful, but not essential. You can buy yogurt cultures, and I've thought it might be fun to try different strains and get sort of gourmet about it, but I've only used plain ready-made or a bit of my previous batch for "starter". That and milk are all you need. It takes awhile, but mostly just waiting.

I put 1/2 gallon of milk on amedium-high heat until it reaches 180 degrees. If you're not using a thermometer, keep in mind that you're not trying to get it to boiling, but close. It will probably be forming that skin on top (which you can skim off if you want, but if you just stir it in, you won't find it again) and maybe a few tiny bubbles like on the verge of a simmer. Then I turn down the heat and hold it between 180 and boiling for 5-10 minutes, during which time I pay close attention and stir pretty constantly. Though not all instructions include it, I think this step is important. My very first effort, I whisked it off the burner as soon as it hit 180, and it wasn't a total flop, but it didn't get very thick.

Then take it off the heat, and let it cool to somewhere around the 100-115 range. Without a thermometer, stick your pinky in. If it feels slightly warmish, but nowhere near hot, it's probably good. If you let it cool all the way to room temperature I think it would just take longer, but still work. Be careful with the higher end, though, because above 130 will kill the cultures. Stir in a couple big spoonfuls of yogurt. I use about 1/4-1/3 of a 5 oz. container. At this point, I pour it into the containers I'm going to store it in. Then find it a cozy spot, ideally a little warmer than room temperature. What works for me is to fill the plastic jug the milk came in with hot water and put it with the yogurt-to-be in a styrofoam cooler. My microwave is too small, but another easy-sounding idea I've heard is inside a microwave (not turned on, of course) with a quart of boiling water. Then go to bed or go shopping or otherwise distract yourself for a minimum of 6 hours. Nothing's going to happen for hours, and if you can't resist peeking you just let the warm air out and scare yourself that it won't turn into yogurt. I know these instructions seem a bit vague, but there's a lot of leeway and whatever works for you involved. Give it a whirl!

I'm glad you made 50 and I hope '26 lives up to your expectations! My favorite number was 42, even before Doug Adams made it The Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.
I don't think I'll live long enough to see 2042, but turning 42 was kind of a denouement. Still, better than '25 and surely better than what's happened so far in '26.

My hometown was seniors and tourists -but only summer. It was Lake Co CA, home of Clearlake "the biggest lake entirely within the bounds of CA" (Tahoe is bigger but partly in NV).
We also had the highest rate of alcoholism per capita b/c in the winters there was NOTHING to do, even work. I worked at the library as a teen, then got on with a good paying job - Safeway- at 20. It took over 2yrs to get through my apprenticeship - a set number of hours MOST could do in 1 year but winter layoff were up to 13 yrs seniority. It wasn't a great place to be young, unless you had 3 kids already. Houses were cheap, tourists would see this & buy one. THEN realize that there were no jobs. In most cases, the guy left to find work A FEW came home weekends, but most divorced, she stayed with the kids & went on welfare. And moved to Clearlake Highlands for some reason. Most of the welfare recipients went to that town.
Lakeport was more like Mayberry.

When I got enough seniority with Safeway, I was able to transfer some place that had a college.
And ended up with the opposite issues, way too MANY people and expensive Bay Area houses.
I trust them. It's the only place I'll buy Atlantic salmon (only available farm raised). They appear to advocate for the consumer, not sell you poop with icing on top like more & more of other manufacturers/retailers.
Ours doesn't appear to have AC- just fans -not sure about heat but I wouldn't go at 40 degrees either. And I always see a bunch of riding carts.
Aren't you a doll!! I don't have an instapot but I do have a thermometer!
I tried several times to get sourdough going but never could, so when I read that yogurt needed a starter I figured I was SOL. I have issues with yeast. And potatoes. I just don't do them well.

But THIS sounds pretty fool proof, even for a fool like me! And enough to at least try, and do online searches because now I have HOPE

Clearlake looks beautiful and there are some pictures online of your Safeway store. We used to have Safeway and Lucky here. The last Lucky in the Los Angeles area closed 15 or 20 years ago. I think it was in North Hollywood. Safeway closed before then but I don't remember when. I really miss the old Albertsons. Albertsons always had the lowest prices. We could sure use them now.

I worked the grand opening of that store, the 2nd scanner store in the district.
People drove from Santa Rosa to witness the phenom - most had never seen a scanner. SW just rolled them out as it built new stores, and we we next on the books. I was even shipped out for other Grand Openings as a "scanner expert". The WERE much more accurate than the old Swedas but our senior customers did NOT like them and our anticipated business spike went the other way as they all fled for the local independent.

Clearlake has a lovely setting, the lake itself has had an algae problem for decades. I ended up there b/c my half brother was an engineer working on the issue, but it's just an old lake and the next thing on its timeline is swamp.

Back when I went to socal, I went to Mayfair on Franklin near my uncle's house where I stayed- way expensive - and Pioneer on Sunset when I went to my parents' house. There was a Vons nearby, off Glendale Blvd that wouldn't let carts leave the store. Getting groceries to the car was interesting. I never found deals down there except cheaper-than-here produce no matter where I went. Too bad it was pre-SD days, when I could have asked.

The Vons in Glendale. Was there also a RA in the shopping center? When I worked on Miracle Mile, I think that Franklin was my route home. It was a long time ago so I don't really remember. However, I do remember Mayfair but that was back in the day of blue chip stamps. I take it that Santa Rosa is a long way from Clearlake. I don't even know where Lake Tahoe is other than it's on the Cali/Nevada border. I've spent a lot of time on Sunset Blvd (rock clubs and so on) but that was a long time ago.

I just noticed that the wonderful Zippy2U started an East Coast thread, in case anyone of that side of the nation missed it.
I think Santa Rosa is considered the top of the Bay Area. It was about 2hrs away, our nearest city of any size (had a mall, which is what mattered to teen girls!)
My parents lived on Morton Ave, which split off of Echo Park. Glendale Blvd(?) was over a hill and IIRC there was an RA there.

About two blocks walk the other side of their house was Elysian Park & the road to Dodger Stadium. I didn't explore too much, my mom wanted me there as much as possible, my uncle wanted me back by 9pm and he didn't allow meat in the house so I also had to figure out my food (I didn't eat in mom's house - if you've been in the home of a quadriplegic, you might understand.)

So I drove the fwy when I could, or took Sunset to Hollywood Blvd, I remember the Mayfair was close to the Scientology "celebrity center" if those landmarks help at all.