You're a mom. You can do anything. (yes, even manage your money)
Start today and download my FREE Mom's Got Money starter pack!
You’ll also get updates from me.

Saving Money Isn’t for the Sleep Deprived

  June 23

This post may contain affiliate links.

sleep deprivedWhy is it that I always have these random breakdowns in the grocery store?

Seriously, remember that time I almost cried over the chip aisle after I returned to the USA from Grenada?

Yesterday was kind of like that except way less fun because I didn’t go home with chips.

Despite being up all night with my little boy bean, I thought it would be an excellent idea to go to the grocery store on Memorial Day and leave hubs with the twins.

I was all oh I’ll go to the store honey – YOU stay here and watch those little angels all while busting out of the apartment like Free Willie.

Anyway, I walked around the whole grocery store looking for raisins because I want to be all BUDGET friendly and make my own cinnamon raisin bread because sidenote I have an unhealthy relationship with raisin bread. After walking around this new store, I’m pissed because the raisins aren’t where I thought they were. I ask for help from an employee and when the poor little guy also did not know where the raisins were, I felt tears stinging me in the corners of my eyes.

Why, raisins? Why so elusive? Don’t you want to be baked in delicious bread and serve out your life’s purpose?

I seriously think I was in the grocery for two hours, people – aimlessly wandering around looking for the damn raisins. I knew intellectually that I was suffering from some major sleep deprivation but I was hell bent and determined to tell all of you about my money saving bread.

Anyhoo, I was successful in my raisin quest eventually and was feeling pretty awesome about myself but then, the check out lady didn’t ask me if I had a store card and swiped her own instead. The nerve!

I tried to hand her mine at the end and she was all nope, already did it. I protested and told her I wanted my gas points and the scary look in my eyes must have told her I meant business. It only took two managers to figure out how to get me my much deserved points which I worked for two hours for mind you due to all the aimless wandering around the store. The people behind me were so annoyed they actually left all their groceries on the belt and walked out the store.

After I got home and had a cup of coffee, I realized that I may have gone a tad overboard what with the crying over raisins and insisting on getting my gas points in the check out line. I’ve decided that saving money and trying to budget at the grocery isn’t really meant for the sleep deprived.

But the bread is going to be so good, y’all.

So good.

59 responses to “Saving Money Isn’t for the Sleep Deprived

  1. I can totally imagine how annoyed the people behind you Cat! hahah!! I love raisins too, I think since during my childhood days I started to love raisins when my Uncle gave me 5 boxes of it.

  2. Hi Cat,

    I had a few almost breakdowns when my little one was young and keeping me awake night after night. Its amazing how lack of sleep makes even the simplest tasks like go shopping seem nigh on impossible.

    Hope your bread was good!

  3. Oh, yeah, welcome to the days of raising infants. 🙂 And I totally would’ve done the same thing about the gas points – that was completely rude of her!!! Take an extra nap today, if you can. 🙂

  4. I don’t know about raising kids, but I have been sleep deprived and I get really emotional like that too. LIke I can cry at the drop of a hat…so you’re not alone there! That was rude of the cashier in my opinion! Hope you get some sleep soon!

    1. I know. She wasn’t the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. She admitted to wanting to go home so I think she was just cutting corners.

      1. Does the cashier get gas points?? Just a thought! And only you can make us laugh over budgets and sleep deprivation!!

  5. Aww! hang in there girl! You’re almost through the hardest part – I promise! And just look at them: they’re so stinkin cute!

  6. I am really impressed that you made it out of there and did save money and got the gas points. When I was in those sleep deprived days, I literally did not think much about my shopping and inevitably always came home from the store with some emotionally driven purchase that made no sense like rice pudding, when I don’t even like rice pudding but something on the label triggered something in my brain.

  7. Awwwwww….cut yourself some slack. You have been through a hell of a rollercoaster and your hormones are still all out of whack…ON TOP OF the sleep deprivation. Grocery shopping was always my most hated chore (still is) but I insist to my hubby that I do it alone! It is the one weekly “break” I get! You are doing so well and those kids are adorable. Hang in there, things get better. My only words of warning, make sure those babies can figure out how to fall asleep on their own! I fed and rocked my oldest to sleep and she is now 6 1/2 and I slept in her bed for half the night!! It’s fine with me (I’d have no problem with a family bed if hubby would allow it) but I’m pretty sure it will be awhile before she stops coming in our room!

  8. Oh, I think grocery shopping isn’t for the sleep deprived! You enjoy those raisins and gas points!!!

  9. What a cute picture…I know what you mean…sleep deprivation does crazy things to you. I’m big on saving money but when I was sleep deprived, I couldn’t care less…I just wanted it to be the fastest most convenient option.

  10. I hear ya! I am preparing myself for the first spendy months of having a newborn around — when you need diapers in a new size All Of A Sudden or need to try 10 different bottles All Of A Sudden or run out of wipes or need a new prescription etc. But I’ll never bake raisin bread with a newborn around — nevermind two — because I’m just not THAT dedicated to saving $$. 😉 Treat yourself and get some store-bought raisin bread for yourself, and go easy on yourself!

    1. Haha thanks Rebecca. We are unpacking boxes and found our bread machine so I’m definitely not kneading it or anything haha! And you’re so right. These little munchkins are expensive solely because we have to try so many different things for them!

  11. Love the honesty and transparency in this post. We’ve all been there! On my recent trip to Colorado, I was crying while climbing up a mountain because it was much harder than I thought it would be!

  12. Hey, if gas points are at stake, you had every right to ask that your card be used! I’ve never had that happen before – most cashiers ask for the card. I mean, if that was her own personal card, she could be exploiting the system. I’m glad you found your raisins even if it took an hour or so =). And that is an adorable picture!

  13. Oh my goodness, I feel for you! I’m so glad you got a minute to yourself, but I don’t think you chose the best way to give yourself a breather… grocery store on a holiday,… um, no! 🙂 I cannot believe the nerve of the cashier swiping her own card. I know that’s super frowned upon here at least. One of my friends worked at a gas station when we were in our teens and honestly he had thousands of dollars in reward points because he did that (until it was banned) but that was AFTER the customer said no.

    Hang in there!

  14. Aww I’m so sorry Cat! I would have done the same thing if I were you. Save me some raisin bread! 🙂

  15. Uh, yeah I’d have been annoyed too. Not by the raisin thing, but by the swiping card. I’ve never heard of an employee doing that before asking if the customer has one.

    As for sleep-deprivation, it messes with all sorts of brain functions. (Trust me, I have chronic fatigue.) Your decision making is impaired and you’re far more emotional. So I’d just be proud that you made it out of the stores without spilling actual tears and/or yelling at a kinda rude worker.

  16. Ahh sleep deprivation, there’s nothing like it! How dare she swipe her own rewards card…and do it to a froogie nonetheless. Good thing you got that all squared away. I’d love to try the raisin bread!

  17. My heart goes out to you! I can’t even imagine that level of sleep deprivation and honestly, good for you demanding the points. Hope you bought the raisins in bulk. 😛

  18. Sorry to hear you had a rough day, but that cashier swiping her own card should get her in big trouble. She’s essentially stealing from her customers! That’s so rude!

  19. As a mom of two, I’ve been there. Any time people ask me about having a third kid, I just think about the sleep deprivation, and I’m like no way man. I’m good and well rested now!!! Hope the bread was awesome!

  20. Welcome to club Zombie Mommy!!! Where women function on only a few brain cells and still manage to get everything done, keep kids alive, know where everything is, and can smell poop from a mile away and know which kid has the dirty diaper. 🙂

    I hope your bread and coffee were awesome. You deserve a nice break!

  21. Yes finding some sleep time with twins can be hard. Raisin bread is addicting, and you can also add raisins to oatmeal. #Winning Good Luck on your next shopping trip to service friendly no-name supermarket.

  22. Oh man, Cat – I remember those days. I didn’t cry over raisins but when you are sleep deprived sometimes the littlest (and weirdest) things can set you off. And that picture – OMG! I just want to hold those babies. See you need to have more PF bloggers live around, then you’d have a ton of free daycare! Get some rest, my friend! And I’m sure the raisin bread was delicious!

  23. I seriously CANNOT stand it one bit when I can’t find something in the store, especially if I made a trip to get it solely.

  24. Do you really love raisins, don’t you Cat? That’s nice for you. Me, I don’t like it really, naahh! I don’t feel okay eating it. If someone gave me chocolate then it has raisins on it, I just ate the chocolate and throw the raisins away. Hehe

  25. I have to tell you, it probably would’ve happened to me too (except the crying part) except I don’t have a (legitimate) excuse. I’m just always grumpy when I go to the store. How irritating that the raisins weren’t where they should be and that checker scanning her own card!!! I would’ve insisted on getting my points too 🙂

  26. So funny! Trying to find stuff in a store you’re not familiar with is NO FUN, so doing it while sleep deprived during a holiday weekend must be pure hell. Props for getting those gas points in the end — I do a happy dance whenever I fill up and get the notification that I can save $0.10 per gallon.

  27. Sleep deprivation is the worst! I am also very emotional and can drop tears like nobody’s business when I’m that tired. I’m sorry you couldn’t find the raisins and that the cashier swiped her card?! Your comment about escaping like free willie is priceless. 🙂

  28. I’m also experiencing sleep deprivation lately, I’ve been thinking lots of things. When I searched for an online cause and treatment about the sleep deprivation, I had read that some of the reasons are stress. So I tried doing Yoga to release some stress and negative feelings.

  29. I hope you managed to get your bread and coffee in the end! Trying to do stuff when tired is not fun.

  30. Classic sleep deprivation. My wife and I had a few moments of that when our son was born. I have had a few of those moments since we moved into our new home. We have been working so hard to get everything ready that I have lost my mind a few times.

  31. Sorry .. I kinda missed the entire point here. THE BABIES ARE SOOOOO CUTE 🙂

  32. When our daughter was a newborn, I was super determined that we were going to have a routine, and our last feeding before bed always happened when Wheel of Fortune was on. I swear I didn’t ever look at the clock because I knew that Wheel was before bed feeding, Roseanne on Nick at Night was midnight feeding, Fresh Prince was 3 Am etc. ( I see the craziness as I am writing this all down and probably just should have cancelled the TV years ago!) Anyway, one night we missed Wheel of Fortune and I had a crying meltdown, and I think I scared poor Jim to death, so don’t feel bad. You cry over raisins. I cry over Vanna White. It all gets easier with time!

  33. Oh man, what a day! Now you will NEVER EVER forget where the raisins live!
    I wouldn’t be too concerned about the points debacle… you’d think the cashier would be reprimanded for swiping her card without asking, anyway!
    Enjoy your pennies in gas points 🙂 You earned them..and you probably got points for lots of other people, too. (ie: Hopefully the cashier doesn’t swipe her own card first anymore.)

  34. Oh, girl, I have totally done the meltdown at the grocery store thing. After a few weeks of getting 2 nonconsecutive hours of sleep a night, I got to the check out and this happened.

    “Everything was supposed to be on saaaale.”

    “Um…”

    “Look!” I pull out the circular.

    “These sales ended yesterday.”

    I look at the total. “Can’t you do anything to help me?”

    “Sorry…”

    “Just put it all back then. I can’t afford it. Guess my kids don’t need to eat.” Cue tears and if you can imagine it, an exit even more dramatic than that conversation.

    The husband went and got food later that day. Thank god he doesn’t care about coupons.

    I now get about 5 hours of sleep a night. As everyone has said, hang in there. It’s so hard. But it gets better.

  35. Aw, man. I don’t have kids, so I definitely can’t relate to you degree of tired, but saving definitely isn’t for the sleep deprived. Neither is eating healthy. Haha. Excessive travel has definitely gotten me to the crying over raisins point, though.

  36. My mom kind of did something similar at Target and I admit I got so embarrassed. She basically called them out on a price and it was over 58 cents. But the woman was relentless. Nice, but relentless. I felt so bad for the people behind the line!

Comments are closed.
Copyright © Catherine Alford.  Designed & Developed with by LizTheresa.com