Compulsive buying

Some of my closest friends and family members are compulsive shoppers and buyers. They seek the thrill of the purchase, and sometimes there can be a lingering effect of pride for the item. But that feeling fades and one must buy again to keep themselves happy. Cruise lines are a great example of a money making powerhouse which feeds off all nationalities of people with little regard to humanity and the environment. Just buy, eat, buy, eat, buy!

How can you tell if someone is a compulsive shopper?
They have bigger closets than living rooms, more shoes than friends, spend their time going out of town to shop, or are compulsive cruise line sailors. They have 10 pairs of watches but only one wrist to wear it on. Freezer, fridge and pantry stocked with the same items, half expired due to always eating out.

But they don't need a lot of money. Those with a lower income are the cupon seekers, the sales event shoppers, and I am guilty of the thrift store shopping (although I limit myself to once a month.) A majority work long hours and enjoy the comfort of their couch or computer chair at home. Highly processed foods fill the shelves because who wants to keep up with fresh food and spend time cooking their own meals, especially when it just tastes so great! Add water, pop in microwave and presto! Delicious home cooked meals in only 3 microwave minutes.

I started eating healthy when I was 22. Maybe even 23. After working at an organic foods store I began buying from there because of my discount. I learned how delicious healthy food was and best of all- how it make me feel. When working at a hotel I got paid very little and worked part time so I got my food from a food bank. Once a week you could get a bag of fresh veggies, and a bag of fresh fruit. Once a month a box of the monthly supplies- grains, canned foods, meats, dairy. The breads were from local bakeries including Panera Bread, and the veggies were not only from grocery stores but local farmers who had too much. So I got to experiment with a different foods I normally would not have chosen...
Now I am a compulsive label reader. After having a job which required weekly date checking of the entire store I go through my parents pantry and refrigerator for expired goods about once a year.  Sometimes things will sneak by.. like 4 cans of beans expired 2 years back...
And these highly processed potato stix... cant be worse than potato chips right? WRONG!
18g fat, 8g TRANS FAT in ONE serving~ the entire can.
My dad was bring these to lunch.  After having a foot of his colon removed due to colon cancer, I thew all of those cans in the trash...  Read those labels!  Even if it says 0g it can have up to .5g and read '0'.  So read the ingredients too, make sure there are no hydrogenated oils, unless you like to cover your heart with a nice layer of fat...