The horror of grocery shopping

SteveDallas · 05-27-2003, 11:17 PM

Like most adult Americans, I spend a certain portion of my non-working hours doing various chores to keep my life on track: mailing a check to the electric company periodically, washing clothes, taking the trash out. It's fair to say that I don't consider any of these things to be particularly fun. But none of them inspires in me the same loathing as the weekly trip to the grocery store for food and other items.

Why do I hate it so much? Hard to tell. It's irrational--or is it?

I drag myself out to the store (when I'm alone--doing it with the kids along is a whole other ball of wax). Of course I can't do that till there's been a complete inventory of what we have and what we need for the following week, which includes at least minimal consideration of what we're going to serve for meals.

There are inevitably some things that I want that aren't there--either not in stock, or not carried. God forbid I should ask somebody who works there for help. "Guacamole? I dunno. Hey, Fred, do we have Guacamole? Hmm. Not sure. But if we do it's with the produce somewhere." I could always go to a different store, but it will have a DIFFERENT selection of items I don't want.

After I have made my way around and gotten what I need (a task made harder by presumably intelligent people who will simply sit in the middle of the aisle, oblivious to the fact that they're blocking traffic on both sides), it's time to check out. In this case I'm at the mercy of the store. There may only be one checkout lane open--with four people in line, each with a cart full. The stores generally provide a special lane--or two or three--for those who are buying just a few items, but don't do much that I can see for those of us who may be dropping $150 or $200. On a really bad trip, you may have no bagger, when means you either bag it yourself or you wait while the cashier finishes ringing up your order and then proceeds to bag it. (I usually choose the former just to get out faster.)

And of course once you get home you have to unpack it all and put it away.

Am I just whiny? Or is the weekly expedition to Super Fresh, Acme, Giant, or whatever's in your neck of the woods also the bane of your existence?

05-27-2003, 11:17 PM	#1
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	The horror of grocery shopping Like most adult Americans, I spend a certain portion of my non-working hours doing various chores to keep my life on track: mailing a check to the electric company periodically, washing clothes, taking the trash out. It's fair to say that I don't consider any of these things to be particularly fun. But none of them inspires in me the same loathing as the weekly trip to the grocery store for food and other items. Why do I hate it so much? Hard to tell. It's irrational--or is it? I drag myself out to the store (when I'm alone--doing it with the kids along is a whole other ball of wax). Of course I can't do that till there's been a complete inventory of what we have and what we need for the following week, which includes at least minimal consideration of what we're going to serve for meals. There are inevitably some things that I want that aren't there--either not in stock, or not carried. God forbid I should ask somebody who works there for help. "Guacamole? I dunno. Hey, Fred, do we have Guacamole? Hmm. Not sure. But if we do it's with the produce somewhere." I could always go to a different store, but it will have a DIFFERENT selection of items I don't want. After I have made my way around and gotten what I need (a task made harder by presumably intelligent people who will simply sit in the middle of the aisle, oblivious to the fact that they're blocking traffic on both sides), it's time to check out. In this case I'm at the mercy of the store. There may only be one checkout lane open--with four people in line, each with a cart full. The stores generally provide a special lane--or two or three--for those who are buying just a few items, but don't do much that I can see for those of us who may be dropping $150 or $200. On a really bad trip, you may have no bagger, when means you either bag it yourself or you wait while the cashier finishes ringing up your order and then proceeds to bag it. (I usually choose the former just to get out faster.) And of course once you get home you have to unpack it all and put it away. Am I just whiny? Or is the weekly expedition to Super Fresh, Acme, Giant, or whatever's in your neck of the woods also the bane of your existence?

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