Terminalcoffee discussion

Do you like to shop alone? Do you take a list? Are you a focused shopper or do you like to wander around?

I ask in part because my wife and I cannot go grocery shopping together without martial counseling. She's stand in front of, say, the different types of grape jelly and say things like, "Oh, I wonder if this one is as good as that one. Look! I don't know. Let me look at that jar way on the bottom." In the meantime, I'm four aisles ahead, tapping my feet, waiting for her to catch up. This extends to other shopping arenas, too. I'm a much more focused shopper. I don't mean to be critical (heh, ok, maybe a little), but our shopping styles don't match.

I take a list about 50% of the time grocery shopping. I usually know what I need to get.

Clothes shopping and the like...I want to go alone. I don't want people to have to wait for me and I don't want to wait for them.

And...you?

That sounds a lot like me and Sweeter. He won't let me come any more because I'm a terrible impulse shopper.
He's in charge of our weekly grocery trips and I just put stuff on the list.
I can, but am discouraged from going alone because of my terrible lack of self control. Especially when I'm hungry.
For instance, yesterday I went to pick up some pork chops for dinner, and I ended up with 25 dollars worth of sandwich fixings for the week.

its depends on what i want to get and where i get it and how much money i have.. like i know exactly what i want and dont want when it comes to food shopping, or sneakers or clothes but if im in a book store or somewhere where theres a bunch of cool stuff and i have some extra cash on me i might take a while.. i almost bought this make your own alcohol kit with a barrel to store it in at the ren fair.. that was dangerous times.. the internet could also be a dangerous shopping place.. but i haven't done that in a while..

Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry.

My wife uses lists, I wing it.

I pretty much just eat or wear whatever my wife brings home.

I prefer the Israeli Commando approach to shopping: storm the store, get what I want, get the hell out, all in a matter of minutes. I'm not a browser. If I don't see what I'm looking for, I get out of whatever store or shop I'm in.

Gus wrote: "I prefer the Israeli Commando approach to shopping: storm the store, get what I want, get the hell out, all in a matter of minutes. I'm not a browser. If I don't see what I'm looking for, I get out..."

That's what I do. I also make a mental map of my route to minimize back-tracking.

I like to think of my shopping experience as the Raid on Entebbe. Quick strike, maximum impact, minimal casualties.

For example, the Costco recently has been swarmed with DirecTV salesmen. As soon as I make eye contact with one of the reps, I shout, "already have, love the Sunday NFL package!" Which is bogus, because I don't have DirecTV, and I don't want it.

For groceries I shop quickly; I usually know what I want. Go in, grab items and out--like Gus said.

For clothes, I spend a bit more time as I will be stuck with the results longer if I make a bad mistake.

When I go to the book store, I can literally sepnd two hours or more. Besides browsing for books, I have to discuss books with my owner friends and/or other patrons. So many books I wan tand I will never get to read them all. (at least, there is always something to look forward to...)

Our grocery shopping has gotten easier now that we do it at Trader Joe's and I buy the produce at the farmer's market. A couple of impulse buys, but it's always cheaper and faster than big supermarkets. We know what they have and what we want.
If my sister comes with, our weekly shopping costs twice as much. Never fail.

I hate shopping. Most hated are hardware stores, followed by big box stores like Target, clothing, shoes, and food. Food isn't so bad, since I usually have a plan.
Book stores, music stores, comic stores, and cute little independently owned gifty stores are A-OK.

My shopping strategy -

I loathe shopping in stores with every ounce of my being. If I have to go in a store like the grocery store or some store at the mall or Target or some such place, I'll go in with a mental list of items to buy - grab it and go.

Now, shopping at open markets is another story altogether - I loooove shopping at the farmer's market, at sidewalk sales, at yard sales, at garage sales... Maybe it's weird, but I can tolerate being inside at stores much much more if there are LOTS of windows letting in natural light, maybe it's because it gives the illusion of being an easy escape.

I like the Farmers market also, and online shopping is becoming more appealing to me.

I make my list based on the dinners and anything else I'm planning to make, plus other regular staples, and go through the store methodically.
Chris, on the other hand, likes to take his time, lots and lots of time, especially in the produce section. He will often make a separate trip just for produce. That's really for the best.
I only go to the mall when I have to. But yes, bookstores are for browsing.

I never ever shop with my Husband!!! For me shopping is a pleasurable experience to my Husband it's like going for a tooth extraction.

i go to the grocery store with a fork and a spoon. everything looks good when i am shopping.

what? fish? i usually come home with chunky monkey and almond joy ice cream when i am hungry. since i have my spoon in my pocket i can just eat it in the truck.

My husband and I are good at shopping the grocery store and Target. We do one big grocery shopping trip a month and then we'll just buy the odds and ends when we need to. We have a list but that's usually the basic stuff. Most of the things we get on a usual basis, we just kind of know.

Shopping for clothing is a different story. He's a t-shirt/sweatshirt, jeans, and baseball cap kind of guy. I usually hate clothes shopping because I'm very picky and there are lots of times I will walk out of a store in less than a half hour in a huff and empty handed. But they just opened a Khol's within walking distance of my house and the first time I went in I was there for about two hours.

Book shopping has to be me and one of my closest friends. In fact, one time she called me from a used bookstore we frequent and she went through the entire store with me on the phone! LOL!

shopping strategy: DO NOT GO JEANS SHOPPING WITH A WOMAN

that is all

BunWat wrote: "I never shop when I'm hungry. Disaster. I come home with bizarre stuff because for some reason hungry me thinks I'm going to want gefilte fish. "

No. You really don't want gefilte fish. Bleeeeeeeeeah. That's just the summer neighbors rubbing off on you.

Jaimie wrote: "My husband and I are good at shopping the grocery store and Target. We do one big grocery shopping trip a month and then we'll just buy the odds and ends when we need to. We have a list but that's ..."

At least your husband will go shopping with you!! My boyfriend HATES any type of shopping, even if I'm buying him the clothes.. We've been together 6 years, you'd think he get used to it. So my strategy is to shop with nobody but me,myself, and I. Then there is nobody nagging at me about wanting to leave....

Oh, he doesn't always have patience with me when we're shopping! LOL!

Then there's the best part. He works at Rite Aid and so he picks up everything we need from there, even my "girly" stuff. Today I called him because people at work are really sick and I asked him to bring me home some Halls Defense drops. It's like having my own delivery service. :-)

I give the BF credit for dropping off my feminine needs, but if I bring up the fact we need food in the house, he's like see ya! Shopping relaxes me, so I'd rather do it by myself anyway, if I can leave my 10 year old at home with him, even better!! But unfortuntely my son likes to go shopping, he only hates it about 20mins into it!

I actually like going grocery shopping. I usually go once a week and am usually there for 30mins-1 hr...some times I have a list sometimes I don't.

As far as clothes, I like to go w/ others so I can get their opinion but will go myself if I have to.

Stores like book stores it depends. I tend to spend a while there, especially @ the used book store, so I can only go w/ my friend that reads like I do...everyone else gets bored.

Three Js in a row!

Yeah, all variations of the same name I got a bit confused there for a moment!

I hate shopping. I used to love clothes shopping. Hate it. I don't do it at all anymore. Except goodwill. Love GoodWill. LOVE GOODWILL! The clothes, all the assorted sundries, and most of the books. I spend far too much time there.

Jaime wrote: "I actually like going grocery shopping. I usually go once a week and am usually there for 30mins-1 hr...some times I have a list sometimes I don't.

As far as clothes, I like to go w/ others so ..."

oh geez, if I could get out of the grocery store in 30mins that's a blessing...I literally take 2 hours, but I try to bargain shop and go through my coupons (which I love Sunday's for clipping coupons..)

Larry wrote: "Three Js in a row!"

Do we get a prize?

Yes! You all get to spend time with US! :)

And, quality ficus time, too. No other group can boast about that!

That's right, Jackie.

Awwww, the ficus is blushing!

Focused. Don't like shopping for clothes. Like a hunter. Get in, get it, get out.

That's me, too, Rach.

Awesome! **high fives Larry**

Hunter/gatherer strategy works for me. More time to read then.

At the grocery I sometimes have a list, sometimes don't. If there are things I absolutely have to have, I usually don't forget them. I also keep my eyes peeled for shelf tags indicating sales, and I'm a good judge of whether the sale price is good, or just a bunch of bull. If something is not on sale that week, and I want it, I might not buy it. I'll wait for it to go on sale.

I only go down the food aisles. I rarely buy nonfood items from the grocery.

If I go grocery shopping with my sister (e.g. cooking for major holidays) we will spend 2 hours at the store and spend 5x more than I have ever spent on one grocery trip in my life. She is very slow and very indecisive.

My husband does the grocery shop but I taught him everything he knows. Once he learned the ropes he developed his own method of attack
Making the list comes first and I am asked to contribute suggestions.
He puts each item in columns according to where they are located in the aisles at the supermarket.
He only buys what's on the list and always buys broccoli for the green vegetable

I prefer to shop alone and I read labels and compare prices.
I will always buy coffee and my brand of laundry powder if they are on special. I haven't paid full price for coffee in ages

I don't enjoy clothing shopping all that much and I get sick of trying clothes on.

November 2009 to the present. Once again, LG leaps across the years...

I love most shopping. Groceries aren´t my favourite, but I don´t mind doing them. I love shopping for clothes, cd´s and books. My favourite store to shop in is IKEA because I feel like I can behave like a kid in there. There´s little houses to explore, books I can´t read on the shelves (I would buy them if they sold them), furniture to try out (my favourite used to be the round bed, but I haven't seen it in a while, yesterday I tried out children's furniture among other things), stuffed animals to play with and scatter throughout the store, and lots of awesome stuff to buy. And nobody will stop you from doing this, it's IKEA. My sister bought this crocodile (notice the headband, she also bought a cape for it):
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It also works great as a scarf. Drape her around your neck, put her tail in her mouth, and you're done!

RandomAnthony wrote: "I ask in part because my wife and I cannot go grocery shopping together without martial counseling."

I wonder what that's like, martial counseling.

You mean you got married all those times and never got counseling, J??

J9 had marital counseling, not martial counseling.

It sounds like RA was truly doing battle.

I've never been to Bruce Lee for counseling.

Martial counseling is what happens after the marital counseling fails. Martian counseling is what happens when it turns out your spouse might as well have been an alien. J9 may also have had Mauritian counseling, but you'd have to ask nicely.

janine wrote: "I love most shopping. Groceries aren´t my favourite, but I don´t mind doing them. I love shopping for clothes, cd´s and books. My favourite store to shop in is IKEA because I feel like I can behave in there. There´s little houses to explore, books I can´t read on the shelves (I would buy them if they sold them), furniture to try out (my favourite used to be the round bed, but I haven't seen it in a while, yesterday I tried out children's furniture among other things), stuffed animals to play with and scatter throughout the store, and lots of awesome stuff to buy. And nobody will stop you from doing this, it's IKEA."

*wants to go IKEA shopping with janine*

I also recommend playing hide and seek in IKEA.

Ours might be too big for that (3d largest IKEA in Europe), but it's a great idea.

janine wrote: "I love most shopping. Groceries aren´t my favourite, but I don´t mind doing them. I love shopping for clothes, cd´s and books. My favourite store to shop in is IKEA because I feel like I can behave..."

I love her!!! Does she have a name?

No, she doesn't have a name.

What is she, a horse?