It's getting cold outside

I haven't posted anything in the last month because I've been trying to get ready for the winter hibernation.  Or at least my version of hibernation without a viable vehicle for the routine errands that I normally do.

I live in southwestern Ontario and it does snow rather heavily from mid-November to about mid-March.   Depending on what Mother Nature decides she wants to do.  Fortunately, for most of the month of November there's been little to no snow.  That suits me just fine since I'm not really a winter weather type of person.  So, I start stocking up on items that I'd like to have in the apartment before it really gets cold out and I don't want to leave the warm comfort of my home.

The big thing that I do is stock up on groceries,  mostly getting canned stuff that stores well.  That  way, I have a base stock that goes well for making hot meals through the winter.  The other item that I get is my loose leaf tea.  There's nothing like having a hot cup of tea on a cold winters afternoon.  However, due to car that I have yet to get rid of or replace, I'm at a disadvantage of getting to and from any local grocery store.

I am lucky enough that I live in a fairly large city that has multiple grocery stores and that there is a local transit system.  What I don't like is the fact that I'm at the mercy of the transit schedule and what I'd be able to carry home from the grocery store.  Essentially, having a car that works means getting all the groceries you want in one visit.  (Can you tell I'm grumpy about owning a broken car that I can't afford to fix?)

On my way to work one day, I had some inspiration from a family of three walking down the sidewalk.  It was a couple with their child sitting in a wagon that looked like it could fold up and be  collapsible.  The search online began that day to find where I could get myself one.  It wasn't as easy as it looked.  For the most part, it was a seasonal item that I could have gotten from Walmart, Home Depot or Canadian Tire.  Ranging in price from $60 to $170, yikes!  Well, I finally found one for around $100 that suited my needs and placed the order online.

A week later the item arrived at the building I live in and got delivered - thankfully, I was home to receive it.  Of course I was very excite to try the new wagon out and see how well it worked.  Off to the grocery store I went with a long list of things I needed and did what I needed to do.  I finish off, pack the wagon, and head home.  I'm pleased as punch about how big it was.  Here's some photos:

 It's a good size wagon that's holding a $115.00 Canadian (just under $90.00 in US funds).  For me as a single person, that's a lot of groceries.  Yes, you're seeing a couple of bags of chips - I usually indulge on one or two goodies for myself.  Still it's a lot of groceries to be able to get home on my own without a car.

This is what it looks like when it's folded up, ready for storage.  I live in a one bedroom apartment and there's not a lot of storage space for any big bulky things.  This is why I bought this wagon, it's condense enough to store in the back of the closet or at the end of my small storage area.

For anyone who's wanting to see what the name and size of the wagon, here's the close up of it.  From what I can remember, Walmart does sell these online and will ship to your local store for pick up.

Right now as it stands, I love my new wagon because I can go grocery shopping without needing extra arms.  And I can get as much or as little as I need.  However, I've only done a test run prior to any snow fall here in London.  So,  I don't know how well it's going to work during the winter months.  Here's hoping for a few good days with clear sidewalks and good days over the next couple of months.