I am still buzzing from yesterday’s news about debit machines at the Food Coop. The big change is happening on October 1. There will be no shopping at the Coop that day.  God willing, the Coop will reopen at 8 am the next morning ready to take your DEBIT CARD.

There’s been talk about debit machines for years. YEARS. Granted, you can write checks to the Coop — but they don’t make that easy. You have to set up an account and keep a small deposit at the Coop so that you have enough to cover the check…

I don’t know anyone who does this. I am sure that people do. But it feels like one more thing…

I would say that the cash-only policy is one of the things that keeps me from shopping at the Coop even when I want to. Some days I walk by, think of going in but realize I only have 20 bucks.

There’s nothing worse than shopping and discovering at check-out that I am short five, ten dollars. Then I have to leave my cart in the front and walk over to the Citibank or even the Bank of America on the corner of Union and 7th Avenue get cash and come back.

It’s not that big a deal but actually it is. I usually spend about 60 bucks when I go there but sometimes I get carried away and it hits 100 or more. I hate it when I am short just a couple of dollars.

Argh.

For those who don’t know, Food Coop Shopping is a multi-step process. It may be laborious but it is not entirely without its pleasures. Here is Coop Shopping 101:

1. Make sure you have enough cash. If not: get the cash.

2. Show your membership card to the person at the door. This process IS computerized, mind you. If you left your card home, you can just give the person your number. If you  don’t know the number, you can get it from someone in the office upstairs.  Tired yet? 

3. SHOP. This is the best part. The selection is fantastic and the food and produce is exceedingly fresh. During shopping you may run into someone you know which can also add to the fun.

4. Wait on the regular or the express line for check-out. Shopping on weekday mornings and afternoons is best. I avoid the Coop on evenings and weekends due to the long check-out lines.

5. Check out and gab with the check-out person about what you are buying (You may even get recipe tips). Don’t forget to have your Food Coop card or number handy: you always have to show it to the check-out person. Bag or box your groceries.

6. Wait on line to pay one of the cashiers.

7. Hand your cash over to the cashier. Wait for your receipts.

8. Show your receipts to the Exit person at the door.

9. Walk or car service home OR find an orange vested escort and take the shopping cart with you. The escort may be an Israeli draft evader, a musician who plays with Odetta, a personal coach, or a  performance artist from Berlin.

The walk is always interesting.  The escort can’t push the cart but he/she will take it back to the Coop.