99 cent store...bargains galore!

I'm a big fan of the 99 cent store.

When it comes to cleaning solvents, why pay more?

After all, soap is soap, isn't it?

When I've got a bad case of the blues, I head out to one of their busy outlets for some upbeat mindless shopping.

There are bargains galore at the popular chain.

For instance, white athletic socks are just a buck. Fruit-of-the-loom charges at least $2.99 for the same item. For someone like me who is quite hard on footwear, it's a plus.

Goods on tap range from party favors to greeting cards and even light snacks.

One of my particular favourites is the neatly packaged lunch snack consisting of cheese & crackers which includes a miniature-sized chocolate bar.

The tapioca pudding is hard to resist, too.

Although they have segued into vegetables, milk, and bread products, I'm inclined to pass; after all, I don't want to take my life in my hands, just yet!

But the canned goods are a safe bet. Also, the cheap beer and wine which we used to call "rot gut" when I was a teenager. It'll do in a pinch.

The other day I was wrestling over one lone package of Omega 3 in the sales bin with a feisty customer. She won!

If you're a man of letters like me, fifty envelopes at a discount price, is worth the trek down Wilshire Boulevard during busy rush-hour traffic.

One day the 99 cent store saved the day, too.

I was in a ditzy mood one morning and managed to misplace my prescription glasses; fortunately, I was able to facilitate a pair of their magnifying glasses until the new specs arrived.

Believe it or not, whenever I slipped the cheapo glasses on my snoz - invariably - strangers would comment on how much they liked the expensive look of the frames.

I was too embarrassed to reveal the cost!

Sometimes the overhead announcement can get under your skin a little.

Throughout the shopping experience you'll hear a perfect-sounding female voice lilting in a sing-song-y tone,

"Everything is just 99 cents. Even if the package says it's more, it's only 99 cents."

The slogan is becoming as famous as the one from that other discount store,

"Attention K-Mart shoppers."

There are a number of 98 cent stores sneaking into the neighborhood, but don't be fooled!

If you're a people-watcher, the 99 cent store offers up an eyeful, too. Folks from all walks of life and social persuasion shop there.

It seems that jet-setters with money to burn can't resist a bargain either.

Of course, when you arrive at the check out, it may floor you to have to get into a line that snakes all around the lower-end of the exit.

As I have always said, it may be thrifty but it sure ain't speedy.

I'm always amused by the cash register; if a product does not have a bar code, a cartoon-like voice quips in a small high-pitched voice, "Oh, oh".

Occasionally, I am inclined to mimic the voice as I wait in line. What can I say, I have an offbeat sense of humor.

Sometimes, people turn and chuckle with me, or give me an odd stare.

Heck, what do I care, I just saved ten bucks!