Riding a bicycle to get groceries is worth the trouble: it can help you save money on food!

This morning I rode to the salvage store again. It was overcast; and I had an 18 mph headwind on the way home. But I got a pretty good load for just under $28.00. 

As my sister said when I told her about my first trip there, \”salvage\” sounds like a shipwreck; but I think the idea is that the things are being saved from the discard bin.

Cans might be dented; or outer packaging might be damaged. It\’s not unusual to find items there that are a bit past their supposed expiration dates. Cereal bars, for example, might not be quite fresh. But they still taste pretty good; and I need such things for take-along food for my weekly long ride. I can take them to work, too; and then I don\’t have to buy snacks out of vending machines.

I\’ve been trying to work up a price book, as described in The Complete Tightwad Gazette, page 33. My price book, alas, isn\’t well organized; and I forget to take the book along when I go shopping. If you want to work up a price book, see also \”CTG\”, page 558-559, for possible complications of this activity.

It would be nice if there were such a store around here for bicycle parts and accessories. For cyclists who know how to replace a chain or derailer, that would be great! As long as it\’s in decent condition, there\’s nothing wrong with a used bicycle trunk.

But I guess I\’ll have to do without a store like that. I can still \”bring home the bacon\”; and get my exercise to boot. It\’s worth the trouble.