I was in the neighborhood and needed paper goods so I stopped at the
restaurant supply store yesterday. Bulk prices are relatively low and
it's always fun to see the food products available in jumbo-sized cans
and bags. After loading the cart with paper towels, plates and tp and
grabbing a six-pack of clear plastic water tumblers (we don't like to
use glass around the pool/patio) I then cruised the refrigerator and
freezer cases.

You know those 1-ounce foil packets of Philadelphia cream cheese you
get with your bagel at the coffee bars? They had 50-unit bags of those
for $10.49. Twenty-one cents apiece, a lot less than at the coffee bar
but also a lot more expensive than buying 8-ounce bars or tubs. Using
cream cheese is a problem for us as it's most often used as part of a
munchie and often for only one. It's not unusual for us to have to
throw away some of it. I'm only a little guilty about succumbing to
the temptation and buying the bag. I'm pretty confident that the last
little package will still be good whenever we get around to it.
Package date is July 23 and I have no idea whether that's "sell by" or
"use by." No way those sealed contents will spoil for many months.
Since I usually have bagels in the freezer I can now indulge whenever I
want.

Last night we each had one cream cheese package along with some
crackers and some smoked sturgeon we spotted at Trader Joes.

So I thought I was going there for the big bulk packaging and low
prices and I ended up getting the tiny packaging at a higher price.
-aem