Wednesday 12 November 2008

Shopping (139)

I have to admit it - I really dislike shopping. Any kind of shopping - food, clothes, shoes, and, if I'm being brutally honest, I don't greatly enjoy shopping for fabric either. I hate the amount of choice, having to make decisions, having to try on countless items if I'm looking for clothes or shoes, and the crowds. And always, in the back of my mind, is this little Puritan voice saying "Do you really, really need that? Do you want to spend the money? Can't you manage perfectly well without it?"

This morning I decided to go to the supermarket after dropping DH off at the station. The shop was only just open, so there were very few people there, apart from loads of secondary school children stocking up on E numbers. So I couldn't complain about the crowds. As always, I was astounded by the number of different items available. I mean, how many flavoured yoghurts can we need, how many different breakfast cereals, etc etc. I usually go to a much smaller supermarket - just 4 aisles, everything I need, not too much choice and I'm out in 20 minutes.

And then, you have to unpack everything and put it away! I hate that almost as much as buying the stuff. The freezer and fridge food gets unpacked and stowed away immediately, but the rest of it will sit around for ages until I can summon up the energy.

I'm not really feeling grumpy this morning! I just thought I'd share my thoughts on shopping and see how many people share them.

Have a great, stress-free day!

20 comments:

maria said...

I mostly agree. I don't like food shopping especially putting it away.
I used to love clothes shopping but my enthusiasm has faded over the years. I do still like it though.
I still love fabric shopping!

Tanya said...

I like the big shopping bags (called eco bags here). At least someone else packs them for me when I use eco bags. (in Japan we usually have to transfer our own groceries from basket to the provided plastic bags! Yuck! Just another step in the shopping routine.

Terry said...

I hate shopping too Amanda! It makes me crazy! I have better things to do with my time than work my way around other people to try to find the things I'm looking for. I'd rather just stay at home and have the groceries brought to me! :0)

crafty diane said...

I feel exactly the same way! I hate shopping. I have very few clothes and very few shoes. I wear them till they are falling apart before going to get more. I just hate shopping! Now I do like to look in the fabric store, but only if I have money to buy fabric with! I hate having to make decisions on things too and usually try to have someone with me if I have to decide on clothes or shoes. When I was a 18 or so my cousin would go with me and I would sit in the dressing room and she would bring me clothes to try on. This worked really well! As for grocery shopping, it is a chore! I am exhausted by the time I get through! What ever happened to bag boys? I can remember when I was young the stores had them and they would bag your groceries and put them in your car. Now a days we have to do to much lugging groceries here to there and it wears you out!
Sorry to be so long.
Have a Blessed Day,
Diane

Candace said...

Shopping has been a cycle for me. When I was a child I loved it. My mother didn't drive and the whole family went (I have 2 younger brothers). I have since realized that I was probably the only one who enjoyed it. When I started to drive, I'd do the shopping for my mother and couldn't understand why she didn't like to go. Then I started liking it less and less as I had my own family, and now I don't like it, but I don't mind it too much. This is grocery shopping, 'stuff' shopping is a different cycle.

Lynn said...

It's shopping for myself that I can't stand. Trying clothes on and those lights in the dressing rooms - ugh. I think it's a huge waste of time. Grocery shopping is even worse and it's always so cold in supermarkets. Don't even get me started on the big discount stores. I enjoy shopping for my children for holidays,and fabric shopping. But you are right about there being too much to choose from. Also I'm really bad in a bookstore - I could spend hours in there - much prefer it to any other shopping.

Amelia said...

There some things I hate to shop for too. Clothes is the main one...so my wardrobe is limited to a few styles...I wear pants all the time...even to church...I freeze when I wear a shirt...so my wardrobe consists of lots of pants and jackets...pretty much same style - just different colors.

Grocery shopping I really don't mind - don't really mind putting them away when I get home either...shopping for gifts for people is a pain to me - at least for buying for most people...guess I over analyze too much on the decision.

Question - what were you referring to "E numbers"?

Oh, another thing about shopping I much prefer early in the AM when the stores are less busy...I don't particularily like large crowds and defintely not in the check out line in front of me.

Donna said...

I hear you -- I dislike shopping, dislike crowds, dislike hauling everything in from the car... nothing other than necessity spurs my shopping! (well once in a while in the right mood I can enjoy looking, though never shopping...)

Its taken years but I've learned I'd rather stop and shop each day at one small store on my way home as an errand than to do big shopping trips. Now I get groceries almost everyday, and resent having to do so a lot less....

Cathi said...

I find the huge superstore grocery stores rather overwhelming. It takes forever to find what I'm looking for. I'm not much of a shopper -- just want to get in, get what I need and get out!

Jo, a retired teacher said...

I actually quite enjoy shopping now that I have the time to wander freely. You are right, the variety of what is available boggles the mind, but I love it. The problem is I don't love traveling the freeways with all the big rigs that bring all that variety.

Just about everything has an upside and a downside.

Brenda said...

I am not very fond of shopping myself,except when it comes to fabrics and quilting items. I also enjoy just browsing while shopping for anything. It is amazing the amount of things that are available.

Deb Robertson Writes said...

Well I used to complain about grocery shopping too, but then there have been a couple of periods in our lives when we couldn't afford to go shopping. Nothing like scrapping together a few cents to buy milk and bread to feed the children to make you REALLY APPRECIATE the blessing it is to be able to go into the supermarket and buy not only what your family needs, but a few wants as well!

scraphappy said...

I know exactly what you mean about too many choices! I tend to get into a routine after trying out several options, I usually get very set in my ways and always go with the same brand on a certain thing. It's easier if I know I'm always going to get Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and vitamin D than to sit and ponder all of the choices. I find ordering online so much easier when I can load and unload the cart at will.

Mare said...

I love to happen onto a real bargain, but I think you have to be in the mood to shop. I don't really count grocery shopping as shopping.

Sheryl said...

Oh Amanda I can't believe you have the same views on shopping that I have, I end up wearing my clothes until they fall to bits because I loathe shopping for new ones, they never fit like I imagine??? my shoes aren't quite sole-less but I would wear them like if I thought no-one was looking. And the supermarket is a whole other story, I don't mind picking what I want with my shopping list of course but when I get to the checkout I think did I put all that 'stuff' in the trolley and who the heck is going to pay for it all and then who gets the 'privledge' of unpacking all those bags...me... by then I'm totally over the whole shopping thing.
Shopping for fabric on the other hand is like I have died and gone to heaven (in the right shop of course)... must head off to work now to pay for all this..LOL....

Kay said...

Yup! Me, too! I really don't like shopping. It just amazes me that I raised a daughter who somehow finds great pleasure in it.

Gretchen said...

I had to laugh at your post because except for fabric and book shopping (which I love too much and I love to help my friends fabric shop too!), I don't like shopping either. I really detest huge grocery stores and clothes shopping. I now go to Whole Foods here in the US which is a reasonable size and not overwhelming. I try to order clothes online so I don't have to go to the mall. So I am right there with you!

Clare said...

Oh give me English shops. Oh for M&S, Sainsburys, Waterstones, Hatchards and John Lewis and I promise I'll never complain about shopping again!

Gina said...

I'm with you all the way. I detest shopping. I try and get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

love and hugs Gina xxx

Unknown said...

I hate grocery shopping too, now that we have to pack all our bags for recycling. In the summer we cottage on an island. So, we go shopping, load the cart, then load the car, unload the car, load the boat, unload the boat, load our funicular (see blog) then unload the funicular. It takes most of the day to do this and only a few hours of grandkids to empty the fridge of said shopping.
But fabric shopping and thrift shopping, I just love...
Great blog.