Have you ever been so frustrated by something that you wished you could turn back the hands of time? Maybe you wouldn’t have been as frustrated if someone hadn’t said something about it. Or perhaps you bought something you later regretted?
I have been feeling so frustrated for about three days straight, and now the thought of it has quite vanished from my mind. I am now calm and less frustrated, still wanna rant about it though, but whenever the thought flashes through my mind, I always feel a pinch of regret.
Recently, I was in short on groceries and also cash, ha. I had some money that could sustain me for a while, but I wasn’t sure how to spend it wisely. I wanted to buy something that I could pat myself on the back for spending wisely.
I realized that I‘be been lazy to cook these days, sometimes even skipping dinner because I am too tired to cook after school stress. I have been keeping my food quite simple, the likes of oats and spaghetti.
Anyway, I decided to get noodles since it is very easy to cook, takes less time and require less effort. I decided to get half a carton (20 pieces) and some other small items. I planned on but them after school at a main market close to my university.
But the day didn’t go as planned. I never thought I would spend so much time in school. I was supposed to have a class from 8am to 12pm, but unplanned things happened: we had practicals and some of our seniors came to give us an orientation.
In a nutshell, I left school around 6:35pm, feeling very tired and hungry. I decided to get the noodles at my house bus stop, where there’s a mini shopping complex.
I haven’t been to this mini shopping complex( the one with different shops) they mostly sell household and building materials, but I have seen someone get groceries from there. The stress of going to the main market seemed too much, especially since I wasn’t buying much. Plus, it is always hard to find a bus around that time.
The first grocery shop I checked didn’t have noodles, so I moved to the next one, which did. But to my surprise, the price was very high. She said a packet of noodles( small size) was 10,500 naira. I was so shocked because I knew the price was around 8,000 naira.
She started complaining about how everything has become so expensive, I couldn’t disagree because inflation in the country is high. I also believe she sold in wholesale, so it wouldn’t be a bad choice. But I was still surprised by the price increase. I was contemplating whether to buy them, or go elsewhere.
Apart from being too tired to walk around, I wanted to make a transfer because I didn’t have cash, and my phone battery was on 2%, I couldn’t risk my phone dying. I knew I couldn’t afford half a carton, so I bargained for a quarter (10 pieces for 2,600 naira), which she reluctantly sold for me, claiming the only reason she is selling a quarter was because I was a student. I felt grateful, paid and thanked her.
On my way home, I thought more about it. The last time I bought noodles, it was 187 naira per one at wholesale and 250 naira at retail. Now, I got them for 260 naira each. But at the moment I had it in the back of my mind that it has gotten expensive. maybe retail rate would be 300
I planned to cook the noodles that evening but ended up getting something else. The next morning I went to get somethings from the retail shop next to my place, I decided to price the noodles, she said one was 250 naira. I was felt so cheated and I regretted my purchase.
Still unconvinced, thinking she might have old stock, but I checked prices in other places, and it was still 250 naira. Later that afternoon, I went back to wholesale woman to complain, hoping it was a mistake.
But it wasn’t a mistake, she angrily asked to leave her shop. I left, then I realized there was another store apart from the first one that didn’t have the store was behind hers. I decided to price a carton there and she said it was 7,500 naira per carton.
My head almost exploded, I felt really angry and cheated. I wasn’t just about the expense but that I could have bought the same thing for much cheaper in the same place. Maybe I wouldn’t be so frustrated if I hadn’t compared prices elsewhere.
She added a whole 3,000 naira to her prices. I really don’t know where she gets her goods from—maybe another planet? Or perhaps she just exploits people. All the prices on her markets were so high.
Anyways, I made a big mistake. I wasn’t her fault; I could have just walked away. Lesson well learnt Phew. I just decided to rant here.
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Image is mine. Thumbnail designed using canva.
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