Seriously, why do we need three different Yellowpages-style phone books?

I don't like having ice cubes in my beverages unless I have a straw. We were out of straws, and I forgot to pick up a box at Wal-Mart while I was there this morning. So, I grabbed some while I was at Costco. While I was driving home, I noticed that there I bought 2000 STRAWS. The plastic is going to break down before I have a change to use them all! What was I thinking?