# How do you feel about shopping?



## PamfromTx (Mar 19, 2021)

Are you one of those who can spend hours out and about ~ shopping?  (Well, before the pandemic.)


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## SetWave (Mar 19, 2021)

Guess I'm the typical male just dashing in to get what I intended and leaving.
But, when I'm with my lady friend it's okay to follow her around as I just enjoy being together and witnessing her joy in finding something she likes. I have no problem holding her purse and carrying bags which is much different from when I was a young fool.


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## Don M. (Mar 19, 2021)

Nope.  When we go to the store we have a list of what we want....get it, and get out.  We might check on items we frequently use to see if there is anything on sale, but we spend minimum time doing that.  

A couple of years ago, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce did a study which showed that most people spend an average of $3 for every minute they are in a store....the longer you "browse" aimlessly, the more likely that you will be making purchases that you really don't need.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

PamfromTx said:


> Are you one of those who can spend hours out and about ~ shopping?  (Well, before the pandemic.)


Only reason it took me so long was because I had to go to several different stores to get what I needed. Find everything in each store (because bless they're evil little hearts they just gotta move everything all the time.) Then spend 20-30 min in line cuz I don't mess with the self checkouts. 4 hrs later I finally arrive home...spend another 20-30 putting away. No fun.


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## Aneeda72 (Mar 19, 2021)

I am a look at that person, look rarely buy.  But I loved to go and look.  I love to shop and buy new products at the grocery store or look at the new food items.   But, at our age, I am getting rid of stuff, not loading up on stuff.


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## Aneeda72 (Mar 19, 2021)

MarciKS said:


> Only reason it took me so long was because I had to go to several different stores to get what I needed. Find everything in each store (because bless they're evil little hearts they just gotta move everything all the time.) Then spend 20-30 min in line cuz I don't mess with the self checkouts. 4 hrs later I finally arrive home...spend another 20-30 putting away. No fun.


I hate self check out, takes jobs away from people who need jobs.  I refuse to use self check out.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 19, 2021)

There isn't much I need these days but I love to browse through the thrift stores and garden centers during the spring and summer.
If I need to buy clothing I will bite the bullet and go to a few stores looking. I don't like to buy online because of sizes and quality. 
I can't stand going to the stores during the holidays and try to get my Christmas shopping done way before the mad rush.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

Aneeda72 said:


> I hate self check out, takes jobs away from people who need jobs.  I refuse to use self check out.


Same here.


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## Ceege (Mar 19, 2021)

About 15 years ago, I had a burst appendix.  It really drained me of so much strength and after a week in the hospital, I went home to recuperate.  After about a week, I would drive to a box store, Target, Meijer, & Walmart.  I would get a basket to hold on to and walked down every isle just looking.  It was my own personal physical therapy.  It really helped me get back most of the strength I had lost.
Now, I still look at shopping as a form of exercise.  I quit for awhile, but I'm back at it, with precautions, of course.  I look at my shopping list before I go and pick up a few things while I'm there, so I can still _call_ it 'shopping'.


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## hollydolly (Mar 19, 2021)

I hate grocery shopping with a passion. I could get it delivered and I do occasionally but I prefer to see the produce for myself...so I go about every 3 or 4 weeks... and top up the fridge and freezers.. 

I like to shop for anything else tho'... but I am very fast.. I can be in and out of a clothes shop in 30 minutes.. having bought quite a lot. I've got a good eye, so I can be fast..

I love to browse in Malls, don't always buy a great deal , except for shoes.. but I do love to take a few hours, and stop and have coffee.. and just enjoy the whole experience... especially abroad..


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 19, 2021)

I used to enjoy shopping at the local grocery stores and thrift shops each week looking for bargains.

Every couple of years I would venture into the local mega mall and gawk around like a little kid at the state fair.





These days I buy groceries when the store opens at 6:00 am.  With household items and clothes, I make do, shop online, or in smaller stand-alone stores. 

It amazes me how much I'm able to save by procrastinating or just making do with things that I already have.

My little world keeps getting smaller and smaller!


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 19, 2021)

I always hated shopping, I zoom through stores in a mall to get what I want and get out as quickly as possible.  Same in supermarkets, I go in with a list, I might go down a few other aisles to see if I need anything else, but my goal is to get what is needed and get out of there.  Was never one to browse or window shop.   

Before Covid, I used to go grocery shopping a couple of times a week, my husband likes to look through the newspaper ads in the Wednesday paper and see if there's anything on sale that he wants to get.  Since Covid, I go only once every two to three weeks, get the things I need and head home.  I keep the hand sanitizer in my pocket when I go shopping in supermarkets now, whether I need it for the cart, or just to sanitize my hands from touching packages, etc.  Been doing some shopping online and restaurant deliveries, haven't lacked any food or quality of food during the pandemic.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 19, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> I hate grocery shopping with a passion. I could get it delivered and I do occasionally but I prefer to see the produce for myself...so I go about every 3 or 4 weeks... and top up the fridge and freezers..


I'm like you, I'd rather pick out my own produce, meats and seafood and I like to check expiration dates too.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 19, 2021)

Ceege said:


> About 15 years ago, I had a burst appendix.  It really drained me of so much strength and after a week in the hospital, I went home to recuperate.  After about a week, I would drive to a box store, Target, Meijer, & Walmart.  I would get a basket to hold on to and walked down every isle just looking.  It was my own personal physical therapy.  It really helped me get back most of the strength I had lost.
> Now, I still look at shopping as a form of exercise.  I quit for awhile, but I'm back at it, with precautions, of course.  I look at my shopping list before I go and pick up a few things while I'm there, so I can still _call_ it 'shopping'.


Sometimes if I shop at a Costco, Sam's Club or even Walmart, I feel like I'm exercising.  I cover a lot of ground just looking for things, they always move stuff around, even the employees complain about that.  Of course it doesn't help when you go to a Costco, etc. that you're not familiar with, it could be a true walkathon.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 19, 2021)

Aneeda72 said:


> I hate self check out, takes jobs away from people who need jobs.  I refuse to use self check out.


I don't like using them either, and rarely do, would rather wait on a line an get an actual cashier.  I could count the amount of times I've used them on one hand, usually just for one or two items, and I'm paying cash.


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## Jeweltea (Mar 19, 2021)

I like to grocery shop but not in a big unfamiliar store. I like Aldi and Lidl because they are not too big. What I can't get there I get at Food Lion but I do check the grocery flyers and might go to a different store occasionally for the sales. I guess I should say DID because I do curbside now due to Covid. Even before Covid, I always made a list but I enjoyed looking around.

I hate malls and rarely went even before Covid. I would rather go to a stand-alone store but now I order a lot on-line or make do. 

I do enjoy thrift stores but have not been to any since Covid.

I do not like self check outs and will rarely use them unless I only have a couple of items and the other lanes are long.


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## Llynn (Mar 19, 2021)

Not a high value activity for me.  I shop for survival not for recreation.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

SeaBreeze said:


> I'm like you, I'd rather pick out my own produce, meats and seafood and I like to check expiration dates too.


surprisingly they've been doing a really good job with picking out head lettuce & watching the dates on stuff.


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## Keesha (Mar 19, 2021)

No. I don’t really like shopping much at all. My husband does most of our shopping which he doesn’t mind. Every once in a while he will suggest I go with him since he thinks it’s not good for me to become too much of a hermit but he’s retiring soon so we will be spending more time together which will include shopping.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

Keesha said:


> No. I don’t really like shopping much at all. My husband does most of our shopping which he doesn’t mind. Every once in a while he will suggest I go with him since he thinks it’s not good for me to become too much of a hermit but he’s retiring soon so we will be spending more time together which will include shopping.


Being a hermit makes ya a little funny in the head sometimes. *Grins* Prime example here.


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## Keesha (Mar 19, 2021)

MarciKS said:


> Being a hermit makes ya a little funny in the head sometimes. *Grins* Prime example here.


A little bit? 
No doubt about it. That’s why husband takes me out of the cage once in a while.


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## IrisSenior (Mar 19, 2021)

I miss the shopping. I can spend whole mornings or afternoons just browsing clothes (trying some on), checking on sale items; checking out household items and books - new and used can take a whole morning. My family (males) don't understand this but they don't like shopping. I do all the cooking, banking, driving and 90% of the shopping so after a fun-filled morning, it would off to my favourite coffee shop to get a well-earned drink. I could buy myself something too! I hope this virus is over soon and we can get back to some semblance of order. Sigh...


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

Keesha said:


> A little bit?
> No doubt about it. That’s why husband takes me out of the cage once in a while.


*looks around house* it could classify as a cage yes. lmao!


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## Irwin (Mar 19, 2021)

I buy pretty much everything online. The rare times when I had to go to the grocery store before the pandemic struck, I liked to people watch -- not to the point of staring, but just to observe. That's where you can get a real feel for the neighborhood -- where everyone comes together for a common purpose, indifferent to socioeconomic background, social class, creed, color... We all gotta eat. And with the advent of self-checkout, there is no pressure for me to talk to anyone; most people are just there taking care of business.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

oh look! marci's a hamster! zip zip!


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## jujube (Mar 19, 2021)

I've always liked browsing through small towns with lots of antique stores and interesting shops. The Spousal Equivalent stands out on the sidewalk with his arms crossed looking bored, so I prefer to do that sort of thing on my own.


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## terry123 (Mar 19, 2021)

I hate shopping in person.  When I am getting groceries delivered I am very specific.  I only want 3 bananas with a little green at the top.  Do not bring  me a bunch or you will be taking them back and getting a bad review when the store emails me for my experience.  I want a long expiration date on my milk, etc also.  Bring me stuff that expires in a couple of days and I will not accept it and you get a bad review for your shopping skills.  Not being harsh but you tell me the shoppers are excellent and then don't meet the standards you set.  So far I have gotten credits for everything I have ordered and did not meet the stands the store itself laid out.


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## MarciKS (Mar 19, 2021)

terry123 said:


> I hate shopping in person.  When I am getting groceries delivered I am very specific.  I only want 3 bananas with a little green at the top.  Do not bring  me a bunch or you will be taking them back and getting a bad review when the store emails me for my experience.  I want a long expiration date on my milk, etc also.  Bring me stuff that expires in a couple of days and I will not accept it and you get a bad review for your shopping skills.  Not being harsh but you tell me the shoppers are excellent and then don't meet the standards you set.  So far I have gotten credits for everything I have ordered and did not meet the stands the store itself laid out.


are you able to ask for 3 individual bananas? we can't do that on kroger.


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## Remy (Mar 19, 2021)

Aneeda72 said:


> I hate self check out, takes jobs away from people who need jobs.  I refuse to use self check out.


I hate to say it then, but I prefer it. I can take my time. If there is a line, it moves fast. I can bag myself. Right now Trader Joe's isn't allowing re-usable bags and when I ask them to put things back in the cart, the cashier never seems to like that. Trader Joe's doesn't have self check out but there I bag at the car.

I think for me, it's one less person I have to deal with so it works.


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## terry123 (Mar 19, 2021)

I get my 3 bananas at Kroger and HEB.  So far no problem.  Probably depends on the store.  I also have a Kroger Master card that I use and get points.  Right now I have $50.00 in cash to spend there. I can use at pick up but will actually go into the store as I want to get some cleaning supplies.  Its been several months since I have been in the store.  I want to spend my $50.00 and get home.  Will use delivery after then.  I should have everything I need for awhile before ordering again.  My granddaughter will pick up milk and bread if I need it.


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## Jules (Mar 19, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> I used to enjoy shopping at the local grocery stores and thrift shops each week looking for bargains.


I could have written your comment.  

The grocery stores are one of my favourite places to browse.  Probably why I have too many strange things in the house.  

As much as I loathe self-checkout, I use it right now.  With a dozen items, I’m no longer willing to stand in line behind a row of fully loaded carts.


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## Ceege (Mar 19, 2021)

Jules said:


> I could have written your comment.
> 
> The grocery stores are one of my favourite places to browse.  Probably why I have too many strange things in the house.
> 
> As much as I loathe self-checkout, I use it right now.  With a dozen items, I’m no longer willing to stand in line behind a row of fully loaded carts.


I like the self-checkouts.  I don't usually buy more than can fit in 2-4 bags, so I can pack them the way _I_ want them packed.   After you use them a few times, you come up with your own system.


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## Dana (Mar 19, 2021)

I dislike shopping centres, so  research well in advance what I want, zoom in and zoom out get it and that's that. I grocery shop on line and have fresh produce delivered by a local farmer(s).


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## JonDouglas (Mar 19, 2021)

I don't shop.  I go to a store to buy specific items, be they hardware, appliance, food, whatever.  I usually know exactly what I want so there is no browsing.  I prefer to patronize mom & pop and non-chain stores and markets.  I don't do malls, Walmart or self-checkout.


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## Murrmurr (Mar 19, 2021)

I really miss shopping in shops. I hate having to hike through a superstore just to get a toaster or a pair of shoes.


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## Chet (Mar 19, 2021)

I separate shopping from buying. Shopping for me is browsing and comparing and deciding what you will buy. I have a hard time with that. I don't like deciding on my feet. I would rather just go to a store to buy. I know what I want, I grab it and go pay for it and I'm done.


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 19, 2021)

I love to shop. Shopping therapy always cheers me up. Even going food shopping. I don't don't much other kinds since the pandemic, particularly clothes shopping, partly because there's not much else I need. I was in 7th Heaven Sunday. My son took me to a very nice Walmart I've only been that one once. There are two others that are closer. After that we went to Costco. Woohooo!   My husband had his own retail establishment for decades (way before we met) and he had to shop for the store. Often he had to go over to NYC. I hated that trek. He wasn't one of those men who hated to be dragged into the stores because he also loved to shop.


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## Mr. Ed (Mar 20, 2021)

Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, Etsy


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## Mr. Ed (Mar 20, 2021)

My wife and I buy our groceries at PriceChopper on Saturday, like today. Cat and dog food are limited to only one or two brands now. We buy groceries once a week so the cart gets full. I gave up pushing the cart because of my health, so I ride a store scooter. I don’t mind my manhood is not jeopardy.


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## Kathleen’s Place (Mar 20, 2021)

“Shopping,” to me, indicates that I am looking for something I have to have...groceries, a specific item, etc. and I detest it!!!

“Browsing,” however, is a whole new ball of wax!
Antique stores, cute little shops, garden centers, etc. and I am all over it.  Me loves to browse


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## Pinky (Mar 20, 2021)

The only time I'm not in and out, is when I'm having a "girl's day" of shopping with my daughter or a friend.


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## Lewkat (Mar 20, 2021)

I love shopping.  It is relaxing for me.


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## hollydolly (Mar 20, 2021)

jujube said:


> I've always liked browsing through small towns with lots of antique stores and interesting shops. The Spousal Equivalent stands out on the sidewalk with his arms crossed looking bored, so I prefer to do that sort of thing on my own.


Me too...and hubs does exactly the same thing as yours....


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## jujube (Mar 20, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Me too...and hubs does exactly the same thing as yours....


Yeah, he always says "take your time" but it puts a definite damper on things knowing he's out there tapping his foot and counting minutes.


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## hollydolly (Mar 20, 2021)

jujube said:


> Yeah, he always says "take your time" but it puts a definite damper on things knowing he's out there tapping his foot and counting minutes.


Exactly... it definitely does, I find that too ...


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## win231 (Mar 20, 2021)

I enjoy shopping - even when I'm not buying anything.  I park far from the entrance & do lots of walking for exercise; sometimes referred to as "Insensible Exercise."


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## Jules (Mar 20, 2021)

jujube said:


> Yeah, he always says "take your time" but it puts a definite damper on things knowing he's out there tapping his foot and counting minutes.


He says he gave me hours to shop, I say I had 20 minutes to power shop.  

Supposedly I’ve been known to hide when I don’t want him to find me in the store.


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## jujube (Mar 20, 2021)

OK, I will admit I'm probably as bad as when we stop at a Harley dealership.  There's only so long that I can look at $60 ugly t-shirts and Harley belly-button charms and Harley shot glasses until I start seeing double.  I usually end up standing outside and counting red cars going by until he's finished discussing the fine points of motor oil and shock adjustments.


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## jujube (Mar 20, 2021)

Him clothes shopping:  go in store, immediately pick up the exact pair of Levis he's been buying for the last 37 years and a 3-pack of white Hane's t-shirts, size medium and he's finished.  No need to try on, no need to look at other things.  He's finished and back in the car in 13 minutes. After all, all he needs is a new pair of jeans and some t-shirts.....why look at anything else?

Me clothes shopping:  Try on 12 pairs of jeans.  Some are too short, some are too long. Some are too tight, some are too loose.  They're all the same brand and size.  How does this happen?  Give up in despair.  Try on 7 t-shirts, reject them all.  Try on another 7.  One is...meh....OK.  I get it, but I'll probably take it back.  Wander over to shoes.  I don't really need any but I like to look at them.   Hey, look! Jewelry!!!!  

Him grocery shopping:  Looks at list.  Cookies. Grabs package of Oreos.  Apples. Grabs bag of apples, any apples.   Up and down the aisles like the Daytona 500.  Comes home with exactly what he went for.  Nothing less, nothing more.

Me grocery shopping:  Looks at list.  Cookies?  Ooh, what kind?  Oh, those look good!  No, those look even better!  Look, there are some new ones!  LET'S GET THEM ALL!!!    Apples.  Those Delicious look good, but so do the Fijis and the Cameos.  Maybe some Granny Smith's?   Inspect the cabbages until I find the "perfect" one.   Maybe I'll go back and check out the flavored waters...…   Yogurt, yogurt and more yogurt; what kind to buy this time?   Comes home with half the store inventory.  

Him car shopping:  Spends weeks on the internet studying gear ratios and carburetor ratings.  Searches and searches for just "the" right car.

Me car shopping:  Goes to dealership, points to car, "do you have one in grey?" Drives home. 

Yep, we're different.  Ain't it great?


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## CinnamonSugar (Mar 20, 2021)

Stores in which I like to shop:  small neighborhood grocery stores with lots of local produce... friendly, helpful people and I can just buy what I need for a day or two 

international grocery stores... enjoyed browsing the aisles in one of the oriental markets in the International district in Seattle... love seeing new foods, hearing new languages, tasting something I have no idea what to expect. And there’s an Indian grocery store in Savannah that’s always fun to visit... so many spices!

Stores in which I dread shopping... large, warehouse stores. Country music blaring outside, a different genre inside, TVs blasting game shows, and the person announcing stuff over the PA system that sounds like he has a mouthful of marbles. Displays stacked to the ceiling... I feel sometimes like I’m going to be buried in a cave-in. It’s just too overwhelming for this reserved person!

Give me a small store with Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A by Mozart playing and I’d be in heaven!


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## win231 (Mar 20, 2021)

A husband and wife are shopping in their local supermarket.
The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart.
"What do you think you're doing?" asks the wife.
"They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans," he replies.
"Put them back, we can't afford them," demands the wife.
A few minutes later, the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.
"What do you think you're doing?" asks the husband.
"It's my face cream.  It makes me look beautiful," replies the wife.
Her husband retorts : "So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price."


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## Lethe200 (Mar 21, 2021)

I'm a long-time catalog shopper, so I took the Internet like a duck to water . I used to enjoy shopping when I was younger but that was decades ago.

Now it's "in and out ASAP". I shop with a list and if a store doesn't have precisely what we want, I hit Amazon as soon as I turn on my PC. 

The supermarkets still have supply chain issues, so Amazon has been a lifesaver for me to find certain products which I haven't seen show up reliably for the last 12 months. I mean, Crisco cooking spray? Espresso powder? Jeez, a couple of times I even had to order paper towels (so now I'm stuck with enough for at least another 9 months, LOL).

One thing about the lockdown, it has made us search out new food products. We have found some pricey but really good new items to add a little variety to the dining table. We really miss not being able to go to restaurants; things are just starting to open up partially here. 

Just received our 2nd vaccination shots so at least we'll feel a little safer going out (masked and distanced still, though! - just in case).


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## Dana (Mar 21, 2021)

I dislike shopping...I have friends in Australia who take shopping holidays to places like Singapore and Hong Kong (or used to before covid)...sometimes I have accompanied them,not to shop but to eat the lovely food in those countries


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## Glowworm (Mar 22, 2021)

I love combining shopping and browsing but that's been put on hold during covid. We both need new spring wardrobes but shopping online isn't half as much fun as taking a rackful of clothes into the fitting room. 

Right now I'm shopping for new electric wheelchairs to replace my manual.


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