You're not supposed to do that

The other day I wanted to make this kind of pasta. As you can see it has like practically no ingredients. Dried chili pepper, garlic, and some basil. People think it's weird that there's no sauce, but this is exactly the kind of dish I want when its hot and gross outside and I still want a substantial meal. It's light, oily, and delicious. Maybe not so delicious when I make it but other times when I've had it it is. Also, one serving probably costs fifty cents. Maybe less.

So I went to the supermarket to pick up chili pepper and spaghetti. The thing about dried chili pepper is that they sell it in large quantities (thus more expensive), but I only needed enough for one meal- one single pepper, or less- so I wanted to buy just one single loose fresh pepper and pretend it was dried... they taste similar enough.

At this particular supermarket, I knew they used to sell loose chili peppers but I went this time and couldn't find them... but spotted pre-packaged chili peppers. Seeing a supermarket guy stack the packs in the shelf, I asked him if they sold loose chili peppers instead of packaged ones.

Cuantos?
Huh? Oh. I only need one.

He poked a hole into the saran wrap of a pre-packaged pack and pulled out a single chili pepper.

Whoa. Ok. Thanks!

I happily walk away with my chili pepper and wonder how I'm going to pay for it. When the cash register puts it through the weight/barcode thing and it shows up at 6 cents.
Sweet or what?


A few days later I decided to cook this again because I had leftover garlic and spaghetti. I put 3 dollars in my pocket and went for a run, and then went to the supermarket at the end. I was clever you see- I knew that it would look ridiculous to go to the supermarket and pay 6 cents, so I thought I'd buy a carton of orange juice as well.

Well. Orange juice costs more than three dollars.
:(

So I picked up a carton of milk instead. Then I went back to the chili pepper section and again, there was a supermarket guy standing nearby, but a different one so I ask him too if they sell loose chili peppers.

Ahh no, we used to but, it takes up too much space so we don't anymore.
Oh...
Why don't you just get these prepackaged ones? They don't cost much.
(They all cost at least $4. I also don't need 20 chili peppers)
Well, I only have three dollars.

He chuckled and shrugged and walked away after deciding there wasn't anything he could do to help me.

I walked away and came back when he was gone. Then I poked a hole in the saran wrap. And I pulled out a chili pepper.

I went up to the cash register and the girl gets confused when she sees my chili pepper.

Where did you get this?
Oh, uhh over there, just like, loose.
Where?
Over there where the chili peppers are.

She turns to her supervisor person and asks her how much these cost. She, too, is confused and asks me where I got it.
She walks away toward that section and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach....

I'm stuck waiting there nervously for five minutes after which she comes back and says
It's 7.99 a pound. Did you open up a pack?
Uhhh yeah.
You're not supposed to do that, you know?
Oh sorry. I can just not get it then.

Fortunately they ignored my last comment and let me buy my chili pepper.
And then I walked away as fast as I could.

Sigh...

Poor college student gets scolded by supermarket people just for trying to make an affordable lunch...
:(