Monday, August 6, 2012

I HATE Shopping!

I Haz a Grumpy.


Things have been crazy busy the past few days. Actually... it doesn't really seem like I should feel as busy as I do given the paltry nature of the disruptions I have been facing. But I just HATE it when I'm busy!

It was nothing major... but after putting it off as long as possible, I finally had to give in and do some shopping... I HATE shopping!

I normally wouldn't stoop to this level, but I had one too many close calls with cars while riding my bike and I finally decided that I needed to be more visible - so I set out to purchase a neon colored shirt. I figured one thrift store should do it... BOY was I wrong! It took me 4 stores, and I finally gave up and bought something off the discount rack at Target for $9.


Hideous, don't you think? Actually I don't think this photo really does justice to the day glow hue of this lovely garment. But I suppose that's the idea - if the drivers are all commenting on the grotesque nature of my color selections, well, at least that means they've seen me! Anyhow, it sorta kills me to spend nine bucks on a stupid shirt, especially one this ugly. But I suppose if I look at it as a piece of safety equipment rather than just an article of clothing it's not so bad.


Still, it ticks me off that I had to spend the better part of an afternoon running around town, dealing with idiot drivers, and waiting for ladies who had themselves parked in the thrift store dressing rooms with entire cartloads of clothing.


And is it just me, or have the clothing prices at the thrift stores gotten significantly less um.... "thrifty" of late? Seriously, they wanted $6-7 for used shirts! What's up with that? And the other day when I bit the bullet and went to buy new washcloths, I checked the thrift stores first and found that they wanted $1 a piece for used washcloths! And $5 for used towels? I'm all about buying used, but not when it's 3 times the price of new stuff.

I dunno... maybe the cost of labor is just so expensive here that it costs more to wash, sort, price and sell a used article than it does to buy and sell a new one made in China. Something is just horribly wrong with that equation.


Anyhow... I had intended to cross a bunch more stuff off of my list on this little excursion, but by the time the shirt objective had been achieved (well that and the cat food and kitty litter objectives) I was totally spent. I finally gave up and postponed the trip to the hardware store until today ordered the rest of the other crap I needed online.

Online shopping still makes me grumpy, but at least you don't have to deal with traffic and idiots in parking lots, and obnoxious ladies in thrift stores, and guys climbing on ladders in the one aisle of the pet food store where I needed to be... and... and... and...


OK... I know I'm mostly just bitching here, but I totally don't get it. Why do most people in this society think that shopping is fun? I really, REALLY don't understand. I mean, is the thrill of acquiring something new really worth the hell you have to go through to buy it? Not to mention the torture chamber called employment that is generally required to earn money so you can have the privilege of being further tortured by the retail establishments.


I suppose I'm being unreasonable here, but I just can't help it.


Anyhow... is this just me? Does anybody else out there hate to shop as much as I do? Can somebody pleeeezzz tell me why people think this is fun? Grump... Grump... Grump....

OK... sorry to rant. We'll return to our regular programming soon....

32 comments :

  1. OK, I have no idea what it's like in America, but here in England (my bit of it, anyway) this is the score.
    Most people enjoy shopping because they have literally no idea that anyone other than them exists, right up to the point where they have to interact with another human to achieve their retail fix.
    They walk in a straight line (except when they're walking backwards without looking behind them), talking loudly and incessantly to their friends, sometimes in person but more often via the phone surgically attached to their ear. If someone crosses their path they take no notice, simply plough forward, oblivious to the other person's existence and equal right to walk along the road, assuming that their wants and perceived needs are supreme and everyone else will simply work around them.
    So we people who look before walking out of a shop into the path of oncoming pedestrians, or look behind us before walking backwards, or, heaven forfend, actually try not to inconvenience others, end up get barged, trodden on, and generally out-ruded.
    THAT is why shopping is the worst kind of legal torture.
    Having said which, in the main I find charity shops to be gentle oases of calm. Where people go for a bargain and maybe a smile and a few exchanged pleasantries with the (usually rather dippy) lady behind the counter. I'd miss them, but as for most retail shops, they could explode without inconveniencing or dismaying me in the slightest.

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    1. I agree. Most people are in their own little world when shopping and not very considerate of others. They are concentrating on the merchandise and their friends and not what is going on around them. It drives my husband crazy. However, I think if they were aware of what they were doing, they would make an effort to do better.

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    2. Oooh, you are so much less cynical than I am. I should probably try to follow your good example and give people the benefit of the doubt.

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    3. Ha! So I'm not the only person irritated by the insular bubble that people seem to walk around in these days. I think this is why people like their cars so much... they get to have a real bubble to surround themselves with. The surgically attached phone thing made me laugh out loud!

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  2. I don't like shopping either. I want to get in and out and find it tiring if I have to do a lot of stops. Everyone has their own budget and priorities, but I don't always go for the cheapest item. I consider the savings I might get by going somewhere else but also the time and hassle factor. Usually less hassle wins.

    I really don't know, but a couple of ideas pop into my head as to why thrift store prices are increasing. The cost of the new stuff is going up. I worked in a thrift shop for several years, and the rule of thumb is that the price should be 1/4 of the original if the item is in decent shape. So there is a higher cost basis to start out with. Also, possibly the charities are getting fewer monetary donations because people don't have as much discretionary income these days. Therefore, they are trying to raise money other ways.

    With that being said, the examples you gave sound ridiculous to me.

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    1. Hmmm... 1/4 the original price is an interesting guideline. It's also possible that since I seldom shop for clothing I just have no idea what the stuff costs these days.

      I think that there is certainly something to be said for the less hassle approach. I mean when you have to consume a bunch of time and gasoline driving all over town, I think you reach a point of diminishing returns both in terms of economy and environmental impact pretty darned quickly!

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  3. I am not into shopping although I do like grocery shopping. too many people, ugly clothes and why cant i find denim jeans that are ACTUALLY DENIM!? What the heck happened to REAL DENIM?!!??? (that is the only thing I like going into stores to look for so I can 'feel' the denim.)

    I have also found that thrift stores prices are increasing. (including their jeans - which usually aren't real denim either...can you tell this pisses me off?) I recently saw a nice end table, not too large, decent shape...for $50. Really, $50? I can buy a new one for the same amount.

    Thrift stores should have 'dressing room limits' also like regular retail stores.

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    1. Jeans aren't made from real denim anymore... seriously? What are they made from? (I'm sort of afraid to ask...)

      And get this... the thrift store actually had a sign posted saying there was a dressing room limit of 6 items. So what the clothes ladies do is park their cart just outside the door of the dressing room and bring in 6 items at a time. I sorta think they're missing the point!

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  4. Cat, you are not alone in your dislike of shopping. I bet if you started an "I Hate Shopping" club, you'd get tons of members, me included.

    I hate retail shopping...just the thought of having to deal with the rude weirdos at my local Wally World or Target sends my anxiety into outer space. Grocery shopping is a necessary evil. I love shopping at the farmer's market and look there for stuff before heading into a grocery store. When I do grocery shop, I tend to shop at smaller stores like Save-A-Lot, Aldi's, Piggly Wiggly. My local Festival freaks me out. The parking lot is huge, the store is huge...it takes 15 minutes just to get one item!

    I love thrift shopping, mostly for items I can resell. People seem happier in thrift stores for some reason.

    Because I'm an extreme introvert/homebody, I find myself doing a lot of shopping online, just to avoid having to shop in a real store. The (sometimes) extra cost is worth it to me to not have to drive, find a parking place, deal with rude, inconsiderate people, etc.

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    1. I agree that online shopping is generally much less hassle. I used to feel guilty about it because of the environmental impact of shipping... but then I read that when you factor in the environmental cost of maintaining the physical stores (lights, heating, cooling, parking lots, etc.) it's actually less impact to order online. I'm not entirely sure if I buy it or not, but I'm willing to accept that it's a wash, and buy online when it's more convenient for me. I also find that I can often get at least as good of a price if not better - I got a cheap SD card to update the firmware on my TV for $5 online, and the cheapest I found in my day of psychotic shopping was $18!

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  5. I used to love shopping- I am not sure quite why- perhaps the thrill of the new? Imagining how the new thing would look in the house/ how the new clothes would look and how I would suddenly give the impression of being a supercool person (I guess here I am talking about my teenage/ uni years). Perhaps with more self confidence I don't need to look for the new (or 'real') me in shops any more.

    I still like getting new things- the difference now is that I only enjoy buying things if they are a considered purchase that I need (to a greater or lesser extent) and that I can afford. So I enjoy the thrill of the new, (or new to me, second hand is fine too!) but only when balanced with not over spending and not buying clutter :)

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    1. I used to LOVE shopping when I was a teenager. I think the older I get, the more I've realized that I am who I am, no matter what I'm wearing - so the whole "supercool" thing no longer holds any pull for me. Plus, I've gotten to a point in my life where every additional thing just feels like something else that I have to deal with... I have to find a place for it, and I have to clean it, and I have to put it away, etc...

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    2. I think moving out of home and having to care for and clean all of my stuff definitely made me want less of the stuff...

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  6. You are "preaching to the choir" - I *hate* shopping. I go with a list, am in and out as fast as I can be, and thankfully can shop during the week at "off" hours as I work p/t in the mornings; you could not pay me to shop on the weekends when "everyone" is shopping. I am constantly frustrated by fellow shoppers living "in the bubble" who don't seem to comprehend anyone exists beyond their own noses.

    To add insult to injury, last October I had to break down and buy some office appropriate work clothes after I went back to work for the first time in 8 years. My yoga pants and "Kiss me I'm Irish" t-shirts weren't going to cut it, obviously. I went shopping one quiet afternoon and parked in an obscure parking lot. Half an hour later I heard my car being described over the intercom and was told to report to the parking lot. An elderly man had lost control of his vehicle and had backed into my car at a crazy speed. My car swung into the car beside it, and all told 5 vehicles were damaged; mine severely so as it was the point of impact. Of course I didn't have my POS 11 year old Saturn, I had my Mustang. $10K in damages. I kid you not. All I could think of was "REALLY? I shop ONCE in how many years and THIS HAPPENS??" I was very grateful I wasn't in the car or loading the car when it happened.....but seriously, how random is THAT??

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    1. OMG! $10K in damages?!? Now that's one expensive shopping trip!

      I think I need to be more conscious about what day of the week it is and go out during off hours. Since I don't have a job to go to, I find that it's really easy to get distracted and forget what day of the week it is, or even what time of day it is. I can't count the number of times that I've inadvertently ended up trying to run errands during rush hour (which seems to extend from 3-7pm these days). I'll get out on the road and think to myself. "GEEEZ! Where did all the people come from?"

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    2. It's really easy to lose track of time when you don't work outside the home...been there, done that. I totally get it.

      I was grateful that repair bill wasn't mine, that's for sure. Felt really bad for the older gentleman, though - he looked pretty rattled. Nobody was hurt; a small miracle. Very fortunate.

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  7. I've noticed the unthrift of thrift lately, but thought it was the areas I've been in. I've been to a huge one in Flagstaff where used blouses are $12, and they're not even edible. Used t-shirts: $5. I think they need to add quotation marks to the "thrift" in their name.

    I very, very strongly favor thrift stores over buying new, even if the price is nearly comparable. Still, I wonder if people just get used to inflated prices, notice it's cheaper than Target, and leave happy with their bargains.

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    1. Wow. $12 for a used blouse? Yikes! I dunno... maybe because of the economy more people have discovered the joy of buying used. I suppose if that's the case then in the broad scheme of things it's a good thing!

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  8. This made me laugh- perhaps it will make you forget the hell of shopping!

    www.tellmewhereonearth.com/photostore2/weird-ripleys9.jpg

    It was captioned somewhere else with 'for your battle kitties'

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    1. Ha! That's fabulous! Perhaps I should get something like that for Princess so she can't be terrorized by her marauding brothers!

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    2. The next project to make from things that you find around the house?!

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    3. Ha! And the next project after that would be getting out the sewing kit to stitch up my arm! Somehow I can't imagine Princess allowing herself to be clothed in any way!

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  9. I too dislike shopping. I think Costco is the worst. All those people meandering down the middle of each aisle looking everything over (instead of watching where they're steering their carts!) so they don't miss any "bargains" make me craaaaaaazy. Of course, then you usually get the joy of watching people trying to fit all the extra crap they bought on a whim into their cars. It doesn't make up for the annoyance of shopping with them, but it helps take the edge off just a bit.

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    1. Ha! Costco is a really bizarre place. Last time I was there I broke down and had a taste of the strawberry cheesecake that they were giving away. It tasted really good, and the woman was telling me how well it freezes. Then I looked at the thing... it was over a foot in diameter! I mean, this is probably more cheesecake than I've eaten in my entire life put together! I think people should save themselves the trouble and just adhere it directly to their rear ends!

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  10. I'm not much of a shopper. For some reason, the fluorescent lighting, piped music, and overabundance of...stuff just makes me feel like a zombie after about half an hour. I wander around in a daze, completely unable to make any decisions, and go home empty handed because nothing was quite right and I convinced myself I could live without it. I like new-to-me clothes every now and then, so I don't completely avoid it, but boy, it sure makes me grumpy. I'd rather sit at home and carve a bowl than spend an hour looking for a suitable present.

    I was telling a fellow potter that I seemed to have swapped buying stuff with buying more pottery time. Having an expensive hobby has definitely cut down on the amount of stuff I buy and the amount of time spent buying it. :-)

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    1. I think the same holds true even when your hobbies don't involve making things. The whole time I was out shopping I kept thinking - "Damn... I could have ridden 30 miles in the time I've wasted on this stupid shopping trip." Maybe that's the thing... Americans shop because they just don't have anything more meaningful to do!

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  11. I like to go into town at 10 when the stores open and be home by 12. If I don't get anything, then I don't get anything and I can't mentally do any more than that. After that the shops are too full.

    I think it's better to go more frequently (as a pencil'd-in chore when the sales are on) and see if there is anything worth having rather than stressful last minute shopping. Which is what happens 80% of the time for me.

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    1. That's an excellent point. I think a good deal of my stress could have been avoided if I hadn't been in a situation where there were a bunch of things that I needed to get right now.

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  12. My dear Eco Cat Lady, indeed I agree. Shopping is torture. I thought I was missing a gene and I was the only woman who actually despises shopping. I despise it most of all when I really really need to buy something.

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  13. I hate shopping as well, but don't mind some small thrift stores. We had a new one open up recently in my town, the prices are fabulous and the woman who owns the place is so funny. I purchased a football jersey for my grandson for $3 and a large ottoman for a friend for $1. I avoid the Salvation Army store in the mall area of the nearby city. They built this large clean store in the highest rent area among all the expensive retail stores and upped their prices to more than what the item would cost new. I tried to find a winter coat there, the cheapest was $30!!! I found one new for $18. It all depends on what neighborhood the thrift shop is in. We also have a thrift shop in town run by a local church. All the money goes back into the town for example they buy school supplies and underclothes for families every September. Saying that, the prices can't be beat. Each item is 20 cents (so a pair of shoes would be 40 cents) can't go wrong with those prices.

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    1. That sounds like a fabulous place. There used to be a bunch of small homegrown thrift stores around here, but most have gone away. My favorite charity, the Cat Care Society, used to run a second hand store and it was my go to shopping destination. Their prices were amazing and all of the money went to help the cats. Unfortunately they were unable to keep up with the payments on the building and had to shut their doors (for the thrift store, not for the shelter.) It's a major bummer. I'll have to do some research and see if I can't find another similar place.

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