I never thought a simple trip to Walmart could change my life — but that’s exactly what happened one quiet Saturday afternoon.
It had been one of those weeks where every dollar mattered. Standing in the toiletries aisle, I found myself doing mental gymnastics again — could I afford both shampoo and conditioner this time? Prices had climbed so high that even the basics felt like a luxury.
Then I spotted a yellow sale tag: a 2-in-1 kids’ shampoo and conditioner marked down. I tossed it into the cart, trying to ignore the small sting of embarrassment. My son, Joey, eyed the bottle and scrunched his nose.
“Isn’t this for babies?” he asked.
“No, honey,” I said, smiling. “It smells like strawberries. Way better than the boring stuff we usually get.”
He shrugged, and we moved on to grab some mac and cheese for dinner — our fallback meal when money was tight. I worked long hours as a medical receptionist, always juggling bills, and every paycheck was a careful balancing act.