Approximately a month ago I started a shopping list of things around the house that I thought I needed.
Every day I’d get up in the morning and decide that I could wait one more day. If I didn’t feel like going to Walmart to get the stuff, I decided I didn’t really need it yet.
I did that for over 30 days. WTH? Why was the stuff even on my list?
Yesterday, I decided it was time to get much-needed stuff, that I thought I finally needed to get. But, I was hesitant. I felt outta practice for the excursion.
Mr. does most of the shopping, he’s known to stick to the list better than I do. And he told me that Walmart had changed the store around, nothing is where it used to be. He was ecstatic that I could pick up stuff for him this trip, so he made me a cute little list, with checkboxes so I would be able to cross the items off as I placed them in the cart.
Good thing I had pencils and pen refills on my list.
As I drove to the store, the anxiety increased. I kept my fingers crossed that I’d stick to my list and that I’d be able to come through for Mr. and get what he needed me to pick up for him (aka, for our dinner that night).
Yikes – the store had changed – A LOT! That meant temptation happens when I’m forced to look at blingy and sparkly things, especially those kinds of things not on my list. The pencil and pen aisle overwhelmed me, so I didn’t get any of those. I envisioned every drawer, cup, and container we have sitting around the house with free pens, I had my bases covered. I didn’t need NEW ones for chrissake.
I glanced down at the list and up again to see where to go next.
Thankfully Walmart hung nice huge signs from the ceiling indicating the general area the items may exist. I was in need of a few cosmetics (I had strangely not missed these items over the previous 30 days??). I successfully got only one extra item and then moved on to the score the rest of the items on the list.
I needed to go across the store to the other side.
As I wandered around, trying to find what was on my list, noticing how things had really changed places from the last time I was there. I stumbled upon my favorite aisle, that had expanded its space in the store. Nice…
Books typically fall in an impulse category for me.
After looking at all the titles, I only placed one book in my cart. I rationed how much it would cost on-line, and having to wait for the shipment, I hoped it would be worth the wait, but I didn’t want to wait. I figured I could treat myself to a book. The shame of it…
How long was I in the aisle? The post-church and pre-Packer game crowd were gathering in the chip aisle and the produce section. Damn…I spent too much time in the book aisle.
Thank god, I was able to find what I was looking for. I grabbed my bag of Tostitos that I had on my list.
I headed to the produce section and followed the list Mr. gave me. I felt proud that I had survived, unscathed, by a fellow shopper who wants leeks too!? Thank goodness it wasn’t a gun.
I headed to the checkout.
Pushing the cart out to the car, I felt strange, kind of like I might have forgotten something and slightly guilty about the book. I blamed it on the disoriented feelings from the store changing all the stuff around. At least I didn’t look at the clothes this time!
I got home, carried in the bags, strategically placed the bag with the book by my shoes by the door, instead of by the bags on the counter that Mr. requested. I headed to my office to put away my stuff while Mr. put away his groceries. And Mr. came upstairs and said, “Did I put garlic on the list.”
Me: “Sh*t…I knew I forgot something, I looked once, but forgot to go back and find it!”
Mr: “That’s okay, it happens to me all the time.”
Later on…we ordered a pizza – it went well while we watched the Packer game! Yay, they won!! And I celebrated later with Tostitos, they went well with the celebratory beer.
Post Inspiration – Monday Musings
PS – How about you, do you forget items that are written on your list? Has your Walmart changed the locations of items recently? Have you read Mark’s new book on Hope? How long have you waited between writing down an item on the list and actually needing it?
Nicely penned
Aww, shucks, thank you!!
I’m convinced the stores rearrange themselves regularly to get us to wander through impulse areas and fill our carts. 🙂 And I completely understand not wanting to go for 30 days. I send DH with a list anytime I can. BUT, he is a terrible impulse buyer, so if I want to keep the grocery bill down, I take it on alone. And once something sits on my list for 30 days, I generally decide I don’t need it or buy two so I don’t have to buy it again anytime soon. LOL.
It’s a conspiracy, I’m sure of it! LOL – I might be a bit DH-like when it comes to impulse shopping. After letting my list sit for 30 days, I started to challenge my thinking about my true ‘needs’. Except for the book. Sigh. But, I do like your take on it – an alternative to buy two or not at all. Good thinking! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I feel better now :-)!
Oh no … Packers won … and my team lost … it is never too early to say, “Next Year”. g
LOL – there have been many years where after game three, my following of the Packers ended and I found a different past-time for the Sunday game days!
I forget items on my list and yesterday I forgot the whole list at home. That was fun! Our Walmart has been re-organized too. Not much has changed on the perimeter but the middle is jumbled now. I prefer the old arrangement because I can’t find anything yet in this new configuration. I haven’t read Mark’s book because it is popular. I am # 80 something on the wait list at the library. After years of buying books and running out of space, I’ve sold all but a select few to Half Priced Books. I still read daily but I won’t buy any books. The guilt was killing me 😉
Oh, yes, I’ve done that before too – and I found other things that I didn’t know I needed when I chose to ‘wing-it’. I prefer the old arrangement of our Walmart too.
I didn’t even know Mark had another book out, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it. I have a budget for books and on my to-do list is to visit the library. It just happens the store promoted me to find the book, I couldn’t resist. I was like you, ran out of storage space, so I had to limit my space. Then the kindle happened. The guilt is real – but the stories are damn fun to read! Happy reading – thank you for sharing your thoughts!!
I have a weird way of shopping. I mentally make my llist but remember the number of items. So, if my number is 4 and I only have 3 things in the cart I know I’m forgetting something. As for Walmart, I always leave with a list and a full cart of everything else. I use Walgreens for an in and out
Wow – I’m impressed with your technique. After 3 items, a list is required for me. LOL – Walmart has that affect on me too. Walgreens is my favorite run in and get out fast spot too!
Going to Walmart is usually frustrating. I must have spent a half hour looking for a bucket of stuff to absorb dampness in our storage unit. Went from one department to another at the suggestion of several sales people. Mostly (probably) newbies who looked like they were all in their happy places…somewhere else. Well, at least I accumulated a ton of steps that day. Exercise is the silver lining to not finding what I want in there. Impulse buying is always an issue. I always make a list. Lists are everywhere in my home. After a while I get all the lists together and combine them onto one list. Gets out of control. I am intrigued by that book – need to check the library as I don’t buy books – no room!
You described the Walmart experience well. I chuckled at the getting your steps in. I did that by walking back and forth many times. I always imagine some camera above just waiting for lost shoppers so they can video tape them and share it on youtube with some creepy music playing with laughter in the background. Lists, lists, lists – yep, got those too!
According to Jill – it’s popular, there’s a waiting list at her library!! I feel special that I own it now ;-)! I’ll donate a different one to make room for it if I enjoy it after I finish reading it. Or gift it to someone. I’m trying to stick with a finite number of books!
I never thought about the surveillance cameras. Ha – we give them some entertainment! Good luck with that finite number of books thing. 🙂
LOL – yes we would! The struggle is real!
I remember the Wal-Mart switcheroo. It was just the grocery section and it was to make room for the wine & beer at ours. It was so awful. Everyone was wandering around, trying to find their groceries, including me. It took twice as long.
I admire your willpower Shelley! I can’t ever get out of there without extra stuff in the cart. You deserve the book just for tackling the chaos in the grocery section! 🙂
LOL – that’s exactly what it was like – everyone had the look on their face of ‘where the hell did it go?’ It did take me a long time to get through the short shopping list.
Once I learn the layout, I’m sure I’ll be better at overloading the cart. 😉 Thank you for agreeing with me that the book is deserved ;-)! Great to hear from you!!!
Your photo made me laugh – so did the post. Shopping anxiety – an American condition. I remember my mother-in-law, who lived in Brooklyn. The “shopping street” was a long block away. Every day, she walked out with her cart and went to the various small markets on the block and shopped for the day’s needs and evening meal!
Imagine what a godsend people thought the “supermarket” idea was, how happy it made folks. Children, do you see happy folks now in the enormous supermarkets of today? Back to the days of the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, say I!
Yay – glad you enjoyed the post. I never lived in an area like you described. It would be interesting to see if I could even function? The charm of it as you described is intriguing to me! I see many an unhappy child at Walmart!! Yikes!
Shelley, I’d forget my head if it weren’t attached to my body! It grinds my gears when stores rearrange the locations of items, gggrrrr!!
LOL – both happen, that’s for sure!!
I don’t go to Walmart often but Target is constantly changing stuff. Sometimes, they just move the right side of an aisle to the left. It makes me mad to know that they don’t want us to get used to the store do we can’t go in, shop the list and check out.
Ah, yes, I’ve noticed that about Target too. They are the masters of getting people to buy stuff. I’ve been known to impulse buy way too much there!
Keep it up!
Thank you!!!
You’re welcome 😉
I’m in Kroger a few times per week. I shop at different ones depending on which direction I need to go. Therefore I’m forever looking for items, often reminding myself which store I’m in. I read The Subtle Art of Not book when it came out and I can honestly say I didn’t give a *Fork* about it. It was so obvious and contrived that I kept thinking how’d this guy get a book deal? Maybe he does hope better…
LOL – is that what you’d call Krogers effing with you? There were many points that we’re valid, like not giving a ‘f’ means you do really give a ‘f’ about something. But I was very disappointed in the ending of the book. Goes to show you that a guy, living on the edge of a friends couch, can make a million telling others how to give a ‘f’. I’m hopeful, hope is better. 😉
Your Packers look good! I watched my Browns Sunday night–all my cheering couldn’t help them get it together!
Yeah, we’re impressed with the Packers so far – record setting 1st 3 games. Trust me, we’ve spent many a Sunday night cheering without success. Maybe the rest of the season will be better for the Browns!
I’m always optimistic for my Brownies, but we’ll see. They played your old Clay Matthews (the younger) on Sunday–he’s still good. (I was glad to see his son was wearing a Brown’s jersey for Clay Matthews Sr. (who was a Brown for a long time when I was a kid)!
You’re a loyal fan, that’s a cool thing! That’s sweet of his son to wear the jersey!! I miss Clay…we have so many newbies on the Packers. It’s pleasantly surprising how well they’ve done so far. We’ll see what they can do tonight!!
Ugh. My husband was watching your game last night. He’s an Eagles fan. Sorry! Packers will get ’em next time!
Yeah, the Packers were awful – they needed longer in between games to recover I guess. Or we’ll see… Glad your husband was happy!
When our Farmer Jack’s grocery store (the same size as a Kroger store) went out of business suddenly in 2006, I had to switch to Meijer which is one-stop shopping like Walmart and I thought I’d lose my mind trying to find things as the store was so huge. It took me hours to do a simple shopping until I got the hang of where everything was … the Farmer Jack still sits there unoccupied and if it was still open, all these years later, I’d find my way around in a heartbeat as it was the only place I’d ever shopped for groceries.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Linda. Glad you got the hang of Walmart. I wish you well when they change it up the next time!!