Cream Horns of a Dilemma

Photo © Rob Jones

There is a great amount of psychology at work in supermarkets and I am not certain it’s aimed at maintaining a healthy waistline.

Now, clearly I offset my weaknesses, by running and swimming and walking.

And I always enter these emporia of temptation with good intentions.

But there are several urges at work in my head - and supermarkets know perfectly well how to exploit them, so what hope have I got.

My principal two weaknesses are - the desire not to waste, and an eye for a bargain.

Add to that the obvious one of outright greed! But also at this time of year the twin problems of ‘get something special to feel Christmassy’ and ‘it’s cold and dark, need something to cheer me up.’

Anyhow … apart from the greed, the other weaknesses can be easily headed off by staying away from supermarkets altogether … or at least choosing your time of day.

Bargains - 1st thing on a Monday morning and about an hour before they close.

Plus - avoid certain places - the reduced section principally.

So anyway … I wandered in with the laserlight focus of wanting some potatoes and cream to finish off a fish chowder … and, noting that the tills all had long Christmas queues at them, I decided to have a meander and a browse ... fatal.

Like a pig in a trough I was into the reduced section … it took all my resolve not to buy the bread for 30p a loaf, or the custard filled doughnuts at 20p a bag. But then ... like a fairytale city glimpsed on the horizon - apple filled jam and cream horns. They called to me.

Two for 25p. In the basket. Fled to the tills in case there was further temptation. Of course I was not alone.

I love a bargain. But … need to remind myself that I only have one mouth, and there are only 24 hours in a day - 8 of which are ruled out for eating because I’m asleep.

But at the end of the day - I’m an old dog. And some new tricks are just not worth learning.

R