Shopping!

We have done a lot of shopping since we got here. Poor Brian, he has had to come everywhere with me when we shop. I am not quite comfortable going to the stores alone yet, so he gets to come along. Anyway, moving into a new flat (apartment) means many things. One of those is to buy new stuff, or used if second hand stores are popular.
Our flat has basic necessities. But, as a female, I like to have things "homey". Which means I need to buy little things like candles, a plant, a few pillows for the couch...
We also had to spend some money on food! I enjoy cooking and baking quite a bit, and we had to start from scratch!

We are close to two different supermarkets for food. And they have almost everything I need. Lacking: chocolate chips, brown sugar, baking powder, many spices I can't find, peanut butter and a few others. 

I was a little surprised at the size of the stores, very similar to Walmart or Fred Meyer. They have a ton of cheese, summer sausages, hotdogs and alcohol. The fruit and vegie section isn't bad either. Although there aren't a ton of different types of lettuce to choose from. See below for my typical salad. 

What a clever way to sell lettuce though! Leave it growing in a little pot!! This little thing costs me about $1. 25.

Recently we have bought a medium sized water melon for $1.50 and the peaches are a steal also, I can get 4 for $1. 

Other things are more expensive, like butter and milk. 

Here was our first run to the market, spent about $50 I think on all of this. Brian has to tell me what a lot of things say. and it is quite challenging for him also as many of the words are new. 

Another interesting observation about the stores, is the customer service...or lack of. The first time we went in with our landlady, she had to ask 3 different employees the same question because the first two just blew her question off and walked away. 

The checkout lines can be so incredibly long we will wait 30 min to purchase our items. And most checkers are sitting down and aren't always polite. 

Like our new living room? Haha, just kidding, we went to IKEA! A store I recognize!! It is a bit of a trip. We take one bus south out of the city, get off at a certain bus stop and wait for the FREE Ikea bus. Once it arrives, people pile in, and I mean, this bus was full to go to Ikea and the mall it is in. Then it is a 15 min bus ride out of the city. 

Many things were much cheaper here than even the supermarket so I was quite satisfied with my purchases and only spent $38. I do want to go back and buy a few more things, but I'm waiting to see if I really NEED them or not. :)

And at the end of the day, we can eat dinner. Pasta and salad.