I'll jump on your bus!

When internet shopping became available I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I've been in a mall exactly once in the last 9 years or so, and that was because 3 days before our wedding, my husband discovered that he needed a dress shirt to wear for the event.

But, having moved to a fairly small town in a farming area, I must say that I miss, miss, miss all the little produce stores, bakeries, butcher shops and ethnic food shops of my old stomping grounds in the SF Bay Area. Sigh.

Are you kidding?? I trickedthrough> engaged DH into an 8-hour trip to the grand opening of Trader Joe's in Atlanta. I hijackedthrough> negotiated his college team's bus to take a side trip to Penzey's in Jacksonville. Not to mention how we ended up spending the night in Cincinnati and it just HAPPENED to be 3 blocks from Jungle Jim's. Then he said "let's stop at a 7-11 for ice for the cooler before we leave Cincinnati". Sorry Raymond, we have to get "specialty ice" at Trader Joe's. BTW, TJ's doesn't have ice.

The man doesn't have a chance, he should surrender now!

I don't like shopping for clothes, but I love to shop for accessories! Handbags, shoes, jewelry, love it love it love it. I also like to shop for groceries and kitchen stuff, house decor, holiday decorations, etc. I think the only thing I really hate shopping for is cars. UGH! Driving from dealership to dealership, negotiating the sale, options, etc. I hate it.

It's a toss up. I'm a budding fashionista - mostly due to budget and the fact I don't go anywhere- but styles change in clothes all the time and a pot is always a pot.

But I love shopping, period.

Hate, hate, HATE to shop for clothes, make-up, etc. and I've finally reached "a certain age" where I know what I like, where to find it, and how much I'll spend. It is very, very liberating! Purses, shoes, or jewelry are often impulse buys or "good sale" items. Mostly I have enough of everything I need personally. I shop online for my casual clothes, don't need the dress up stuff too often.

But groceries, ethnic markets, farmers' markets, etc. are for my "fun" shopping. I could spend hours in Penzey's and I think we are finally getting one here in NC. Haven't been to the Trader Joe's yet. Looking forward to getting back to my favorite places in Lancaster PA this spring!

What I really need/want is a nice brawny guy to carry in the bags from the car! That is the worst part of shopping for me.

Teresa

I'm a total shopaholic. I went through withdrawal when I moved away from a major city.
It doesn't matter what type of shopping, grocery, clothing, home decor or anything else, I have to see it all.

Nancy

I'm not familiar with T J's or Penzey's but they sound amazing.

Our newest claim to fame is that we're getting a Lee Valley Tool retail store next year. They are cool stores!

I spend hours and hours shopping for food and kitchen stuff. When it's time for clothes I am in and out in about 15 minutes. And it shows lol. But my refrigerator and kitchen are awfully cute if I do say so myself!

I only purchase clothing out of necessity and hate it! I'm glad I no longer have to "dress-for-success".

Grocery shopping is more of a great conquest - FIND THE BARGAIN - and is something I actually enjoy. I like running the numbers and playing "store" in our home food storage room and keeping inventory sheets. I've spent $1667.53 out of a budget of $1725.00 for the year to date.

I'm fortunate, hubby likes to go to kitchen shops, especially those in Amish Country south of here. We have to go out-of-town to indulge because there's nothing local other than a restaurant supply store.

BTW - I only have 3 handbags (summer/spring, fall/winter, and an ancient formal dressy one), but I have 7 grain mills - go figure...

-Grainlady

I also HATE shopping, to the point it is very very overdue when I finally haul myself out to shop. And then I'll buy the first thing that fits that is on sale. I do get tired of grocery shopping sometimes, but kitchen stores can keep my occupied for hours!

I'm with those that hate, hate, hate to shop for clothes, to the point that my clothes are full of holes before I go to the thrift store to buy new ones. DH has more clothes than I do, and uses my side of the closet for his clothes, cause I don't need the space. However, I can spend hours at Whole Foods browsing their cheese or bulk grain aisles, tasting their samples, eying their pastries, and looking at all their produce. It's quite fun to go to Williams-Sonoma and look at all their toys... er, uh, tools. But what I've started having the most fun doing as far as shopping is concerned is going to estate sales. I hit the kitchen first to see if they have kitchen gadgets, dishes or tools that I can't live without. That's more like treasure hunting.

Sally

No shopping for me at all if I can help it.
Girlfriend is a bargain shopper from H*ll and buys my clothes. DH does the groceries.

We are quite close to the Sak border (about 25 miles) and Minot ND gets so many Canadians down shopping for both and mall shopping, Walmart SM Target in the Mall etc.
We get them from Alberta, and Ontario also. They are so great and friendly and along with Minot AFB it makes the stores crowded.

I shop for clothes as little as possible. I tend to grab off the rack and take home to try on. At work we war polos embroidered with our logo most of the time...easy.

DH is a tool junkie. Once his shop was as full as it could get and he turned his attention to kitchen tools. Now we're out of room. I've pretty much stopped saying, "I wish I had....". Once I commented that it would be nice to get back into making our own bread. The next thing I knew we had an impact mill and 250 lbs. of assorted wheat (Seven mills, Grainlady?? DH says you are his hero).

We usually spend a couple of my days off a month prowling for interesting food and/or gadgets. Last week I needed fish sauce and we wound up spending over an hour at a little Asian market. It was a slow day and the young man in charge walked around with us and taught us a lot about ingredients and technique.

We're both looking forward to Trader Joe's coming to Spokane next year.....yay!

Hardware store. I'd rather shop there than anywhere else. Tools. My heart beats faster. Once I was driving grade school age daughter and a friend of hers to a birthday party. Each kid was looking out her window as the strip malls went by. Friend said, âÂÂOoh, KohlâÂÂs. ThatâÂÂs my MommyâÂÂs favorite store.â My daughter looked out her window, said, âÂÂOoh, MenardâÂÂs. ThatâÂÂs MY MommyâÂÂs favorite store.âÂÂ

If there was a Lee Valley coming to my town, I'd be camping out in line.

Grainlady - You made me laugh because I shop like you do. I don't go from store to store and bargain hunt, but I buy in bulk like you do, so most of my 'shopping' is already at my house. In September or October of every year, I buy canned goods while the warehouses are full from the recent harvest and prices are best. I buy many of the canned goods from Sav-A-Lot, but don't buy other things there. I tried Aldi on a friend's advice and was totally disappointed in both the price and quality of their food. I did run in the other day and buy a $10 silicon mat to use for rolling dough, that I heard about on this forum. All of these stores are an hours drive from my house. I don't have 7 grain mills, but I do have one that sits on my kitchen counter and gets regular use.(Well, 2 if you count the crank one.)

I live in a small town and we have one grocery store and a Super Wal-mart. In addition, we have Braums which is a great dairy store and in the last few years they have added a small market that stocks fresh vegetables and a few other things. They own their own dairy herds and don't treat their stock with hormones and such, so I choose to buy all of my dairy products there (except 1). Their bakery things are far superior to the grocery store choices, so when I buy bread it is always from them. I don't like their chocolate milk, so Bordens still gets my vote when I occasionally buy chocolate milk.

Although I grow lots of peppers and freeze diced peppers for cooking, I hit Dollar Tree occasionally for their roasted peppers in a jar, because they are very good and the price is sure right. The fruit they have in jars is also good and is about the right amount for the two of us. My son and DIL have an apple tree so I canned all of the apples and apple products we can use this year.

I stock up at Sam's Club about every other month on paper goods, and granola bars, which is my snack of choice, and sometimes meat. In the spring we will buy half a beef.

I love the Amish stores so when I travel in their direction I always stop and spend big time.

Since I no longer work, I live in blue jeans and tee shirts so I rarely buy clothes. I am an accomplished seamstress so I know I can make anything I want to wear so I guess I am just too cheap to pay clothing prices. Everything I look at, I know I can make, but I don't. My fabric stash is shameful. When I do find time to sew, I make childrens clothing to donate to my Church's humanitarian effort instead of sewing for myself. That usually keeps me busy in the winter, and my garden keeps me busy in spring and summer.

When I write this down, it sounds like I spend a lot of time shopping, but I really don't. I just buy a lot when I do buy.

Even if I go to Lowes or Walmart, I still make a loop through the small appliances and kitchen and storage stuff even if I'm not looking for anything in particular. I just got a new kitchen, so I have done a lot of shopping for it,...

I'd rather shop for groceries and kitchen items than clothes any day. DH gets frustrated at what he calls my hoarding food and too many kitchen things.

I like to shop. Period. However (sorry gang) shopping for groceries is my least favorite thing to do. I also hate putting gas in my car.

LOL, Grainlady, I have TWO handbags. One I use all the time, I got it at Kohl's, and one that Elery bought me as a gift. It's a Prada and I know how expensive it was so I never use it, how stupid is that?

I love to wander through the Marshall's/TJ Maxx/Homegoods kinds of places. Add Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel, LOL. I actually enjoy shopping for groceries, like Grainlady, I love to find a bargain and then figure out what in the heck I'll make with it.

Clothes though? That I don't like and it probably shows for me too. I finally found a pair of jeans I like, Lee brand, so I bought three so I don't have to shop again for jeans in a long, long time. Shoes I just wear the same $19.99 black dress pumps from Shoe Carnival, they wear out and I buy another so I can do the in and out thing. About once every two or three years I'll break down and shop for work clothes, but it takes me a month to build up to it. And once a year I take my Mother Christmas shopping. I have to get the right mind set, that I'll accomplish nothing and buy Mother lunch and she'll be happy.....

I usually make at least one of my girls go along, so they can shop with Grandma and give me a break!

Annie

You can't lose or gain weight if those 3 pair of jeans have to last for years!

When I was young (and thinner), I spent a lot of time clothes shopping, especially when I was in my 20s and early 30s in San Francisco. Even if I couldn't afford to buy anything, I would still go and try things on, and there would be some clerks who took me as a challenge and were determined to sell me something. I only shopped in very small boutiques where I could get personal attention, but I also wanted to keep up with the latest styles, etc. Back then, a lot of the clerks tried very hard to sell clothes, and so a lot of people (as it turned out) felt intimidated to go into certain boutiques, but I did it to entertain myself. I figured I wasn't hurting anything since the clerks were otherwise idle. I would go into some of the larger (but still quite small) boutiques that were completely empty of customers, so I could get two or three clerks waiting on me at once. Then, after a while, the more timid customers would notice that all the clerks were busy and would feel that it was safe for them to come in. Then I would leave without buying because the store was no longer empty, but the new customers did buy things. I also found out that the clerks liked for me to come in and make their store look busy because it attracted other customers, and so they were not that concerned that I didn't always buy something. Eileen has gone shopping with me in SF, and so she knows what that is like.

During this time I was designing and making clothes (mostly ladies' evening wear), and so my favorite place to shop was fabric stores, and I did buy a lot of things there - mostly for making my own clothes. That way I could have unique outfits, and then people would want me to make similar clothes for them. I do miss the street scene in San Francisco, as well as the boutiques, but we have Melrose Avenue here, and the Venice Boardwalk also has an interesting scene.

I get less excited about grocery shopping, and I hate having to spend money on kitchen items, but I will buy them if I think they will help me. Farmers' markets are fun, however.

Lars

Shoes, purses, groceries and kitchen items I like.
Clothes, eh. I love to browse thrift stores and "treasure hunt".
I just don't really need anything. I dress very casual at work (jeans, sweatshirt today. Shorts, tanks, Tees in summer). I'll wear a long swishy skirt to church but with a fairly casual Tee or light sweater.

Groceries are the only thing we "need" regularly, and even then I shop in my store room. Dairy and fresh veggies I have to buy.

I like to shop at new places that I've never seen before. Small boutiques when traveling or the Ross/Marshall's/Homegoods type stores that change stock regularly.

Defintely more fun to shop with friends (especially CF meetings)!!

Deanna

I no longer care for malls, I do most of my shopping via Amazon. When the UPS guy came to the door today, Raymond said "I feel like we need to invite him to dinner". Meaning he's at our house so often.

My 3 year old GD was here today. She came out of my closet, put her hand on her hip and said "Grammy, you have too many shoes." Always looking for an opportunity to do ABC's and numbers, I said let's count them. Oh dear--110! She said "you should give some to people how need them".

Good thing we didn't count kitchen gadgets.

Me, me, me! (Waving hands in the air excitedly) I could and have spent hours in the grocery store and kitchen shops. And if I have to take a non-foodie with me they think I'm really strange because I get so excited about the produce.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love clothes, shoes and jewelry. I just can't find clothes and shoes to fit. And I have a hard time finding jewelry I really like. Consequently I don't like to shop for those items any more.

I do like to stroll through Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Homegoods. They are my favorite stores other than the grocery store.

I used to love to shop for clothes--could never pass a clearance rack. Forward thirty pounds heavier--not so much anymore. Now when I go to Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Homegoods, I pass the clothing and head to the back--still looking for the clearance. I do still get my clothes fix--I have to two darling GD that I can buy for.

Soonergrandmom wrote: "My fabric stash is shameful."

LOL! I've yards and yards of beautiful silk, wool, cotton and rayon accumulated over the years, all nicely folded and displayed on racks in my sewing room. I also have a "repair" pile containing clothing we have grown out of and reduced back into since they've been there!

beverlyal, my husband garners a fair amount of amusement accompanying me to the little Asian markets and suchlike because I get so excited to find some obscure ingredient or unusual vegetable. :)

I don't really enjoy either. They're things I need to do occasionally though. For clothes, I check the clearance racks and if there's something in my size that I need and the price is right, in the cart it goes - and it'd better fit because I don't return many things.

Groceries have gotten better. Don't hate it as much as I used to but I really use my lists, shop more at Target & Aldi and keep up on prices. Target is great for checking out the clearance endcaps. Bought a Calphalon 12" saute pan on clearance for $27 and it's going to be a valuable addition. Yesterday I bought a couple of large read clock/timers cheap enough and a large serrated icing spatula that looked like it'd be a good knife for cutting sweet breads and the like ($2 on clearance). They also had a small offset spatula for $1.28 that I thought would be a good butter knife - nice and stiff, good handle on it and was cheap enough. It rang up at 98â so it was cheaper than expected. Should have gotten another at that price.

I've wanted to pick up some things from Hickory Farms but I don't do malls so I'll have to see what they get into the other stores. Usually I see it in the other stores but haven't yet this year. No big deal.

BTW, anyone who also enjoys Menard's is all right in my book!

Groceries and kitchen stuff before clothing, that's for sure! Of course, I sew, and occasionally have been known to make something to actually wear (rather than sewing crafts, backdrops for plays, etc). At the moment I don't want or need any new clothes.

Grocery shopping has become a challenge, though I'm trying to make it into a game. Every week I scan the fliers from 3 stores within a mile from me, and write down anything that's a good deal. For instance, I'm going (in a few minutes) to two of the stores.

Each month we travel 10 miles (one way) to the local military commissary, to do our stock-up trip. Even hubby likes to go there, but he does get teased later by me.("You needed ANOTHER bag of frozen catfish??? You have TWO in the freezer?!" "More charcoal? It's rainy season, you have 2 bags already!" It's become a family joke.)

I'm not a purse person - - have one that I use and a couple of "extras" in the back of my closet "just in case". Both of those, I received as gifts. One resembles a small suitcase.

Donna

I like grocery shopping and going to speciality kitchen stores. Love flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, and such. Used to be a cloths freak back in the day not so much anymore. I do love going to the mall during the holiday season...the crowds, decorations, and general craziness is cool one time a year.

David

I have always disliked grocery shopping. Fortunately, we keep a food storage program so we only shop quarterly except produce that is either as-needed or when in season. This is the time of year we do one of our annual major shoppings because many baking ingredients are on sale. Then, we won't shop again until March/April. Our meal planning is done around what's in our storage program so we "shop" from the pantry & freezer. Our kids say that we are better supplied than their grocery store! Since moving to this house we've reduced our pantry to 8-9 months rather than a full year.

I enjoy kitchen stores but haven't really done that type shopping for several years. Thank goodness for the internet.

Clothes shopping? Yes, I used to love it! I'm bedridden now so little shopping for new duds happening.

I hate going to malls & haven't been inside one for probably close to ten years. I love small boutiques.

/tricia

bumblebeez, it helps keep me in line sometimes, I know if I outgrow those jeans, I'm going to have to shop for new ones, so it's a catalyst to lose those 10 pounds or wear my jeans very tight!

Annie