stranger in a strange land

so on sunday i actually felt like a foreigner in my own land. here's why: discount food stores.
i had my first experience with Aldi's the other day and spent 45 minutes there and left with nothing. i was so discouraged i almost headed straight to Whole Foods Market to redeem the day. heres what happened-
when i got to the the store i realized you need a quarter to get a shopping cart. well, of course i didnt have a quarter so i just stood there until someone came out and i asked them for their cart. (they actually happened to be international students, which is what i felt like). after the cart exchange i immediately got a stomachache which stayed with me the rest of the day. i felt so out of control! when i walked in, it felt like i was in Sam's Club or Costco. I wasnt really prepared for that so i couldnt find what i really wanted. My sister told me they sell rotiessierie chicken for $3.99 and thats the whole reason i was there but couldnt find it anywhere! i ended up getting some good deals on eggs, grapes, and peaches. i threw in a few more things to make it worth my time. during check out, i realize its a "bag your own" kinda thing. i guess that also saves us money down the line, but really?
when i go to pay, the guy goes...we only take cash or debit. and b/c of incompetent bank people (except you emily!), we still dont have our debit cards. so i only had a credit card. i just stood there, at the cash register, staring at my wallet. its like my brain couldnt comprehend that i would indeed be leaving with nothing in hand. the guy said, you can go to the ATM, and then come back and i will keep all your groceries here. (this is when i started thinking about Whole Foods)
here's what i learned: they are called discount food stores for a reason.