packing it all in

Back in the 1990s, we used to joke that shoppers were prohibited from leaving Costco until they had spent $100. That tariff has probably risen to $200 these days.

I have been a loyal Costco shopper since the 1980s. My Scottish blood is warmed by the thought of buying both the exotic and the mundane in bulk for near-wholesale prices.

Going cold turkey on Costco was one of the costs of moving to Mexico. The nearest Costco to my house in Barra de Navidad is four hours away -- in Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara. That is just too far to drive for packages of 48-rolls of toilet paper.

Several years ago, I was offered partial relief. A Sam's Club opened in Manzanillo. Now, even though Sam's Club is based on the same concept as Costco, it is not Costco. The products are limited. And it simply does not catch my imagination.

Imagination or not, about every two months, I venture southeast to Manzanillo to stalk the aisles of Sam Walton's discount warehouse. The need is always the same. Cleaning materials.

Owning this glass-walled house is like owning a small hotel. Dora and I go through gallons of cleaning material every month just to keep the place operating. Clorox. Windex. Fabulosa. Pledge.

Occasionally, I buy small bottles from my local mom-no-pop grocery store. But the size of the house empties the small bottles in a week or so. What is then needed is a trip to Sam's Club. Omar and I did that yesterday.

I needed to drive to Manzanillo to buy my son a new telephone. His had met an untimely end due to a freak accident. Since we would be in Manzanillo, I decided to add Sam's Club to the trip.

We bagged the usual game. Toilet paper. Paper towels. Lots of cleaning material. Italian sausage. A truffle-infused Spanish cheese. Feta. Mouthwash. Toothbrushes. Deodorant. In total, a rather boring haul.

Other than the satisfaction of warehouse-shopping, the only thing that reminded me of Costco was the total price of our goods -- $3,188.69 (Mx), about $167 (US). And I used my credit card. Something I almost never do here.

I have no idea why I feel compelled to write this sentence, but I was the only apparent foreigner in the store yesterday. Everyone else was Mexican. That is not an unusual experience.

My pal, Alex, over at Hawaii is a marketing genius. When he brings back produce from Guadalajara for his store, he regularly stops at Costco to purchase items for his shelves. He even takes requests. So, I guess I do get to shop at Costco -- right here in San Patricio.

I am about to try a Costco service that is new to me -- online purchases. I need a new television and Costco offers exactly what I need. Rather than driving to Guadalajara and trying to fit the box into my SUV, I can order online and have it delivered to my house. Just like Amazon.

If I will not go to Costco, it can come to me.