We Need to Talk About Shopping

I don't hate Smiggle though.
Seriously, why was this shop not around when
I was growing up? Why?!!!
Disclaimer: Not a sponsored picture. I have
never had any contact with the peeps at Smiggle
beyond going to in the shop and trying not to
Buy All The Things!
Apparently there's a US presidential election about to happen in the northern hemisphere that's apparently pretty important. I like to talk about the big things on this blog, so in keeping with the theme, I'm going to talk about shopping. 

I mentioned in my rambling post of last week, you know, the one with no point, where I talk about my hatred for Thursday's and the fuck-wit who sued his wife because they had an ugly baby? You don't know? Well hop on over and read it. Then come back here. I'll wait...

...you done? Ok, good. So anyway, in that post I mentioned that the only thing I didn't like about the weekend was having to do the grocery shopping, and I thought "I should write a post about that." Now I know you lot hang on my every word and anything I have to say about shopping must be epic, right? Maybe not. But here's a rant about shopping anyway...

Shopping. I was never much of a fan of shopping, never one of those people that could spend hours walking around and looking in every store, it's never really interested me.

I find clothes shopping in particular to be a (an?) a horrendous ordeal, mostly because I'm a different bloody size in every shop I go to. Seriously, is it that fucking hard to get some standardised sizing going on?!?!

Shopping on a Saturday or Sunday can be a bit of a nightmare. Every Tom, Dick and Harry are at the shops, spending their cash and walking so freaking slow. There will be 4 in a group, and they spread right across the aisle and walk as slow as humanly possible, taking with them any opportunity of getting around them, not to mention my last shreds of sanity.

What is wrong with those people? Honestly, it might be Sunday but that doesn't mean you have to walk like it is. A quick shops a good shop. That should be everyones motto on a weekend!

And for some reason, when the weather is beautiful outside, even more people go to the shops. When I worked in bookshops some of our busiest days were the days when it was the most beautiful weather. What is with that? If it's nice outside I want to be out strolling along the river or (insert other nice outdoor place here), not strolling along the aisles of the local Westfield.

And don't even get me started on Thursday night shopping. Back before the munchkin, when I was working full-time, Thursday night was one of the only times I could go shopping and I seriously hated it! Walking in to Penrith Plaza on a Thursday night was like walking on to the set of a porn flick, there were more clothes in the shops than on the shoppers. And sadly, those scantily-clad shoppers were 9 times out of 10 under the age of 16.

I don't know the answer to stopping young girls from walking out of the house looking like they are about to start work on the corner, but I wore more clothes than that when I used to go clubbing at 18-20 years of age and that's saying something, considering it was the early noughties and backless, midriff baring was all the rage!

To be honest though, I have found, since the munchkin came along, that I enjoy shopping slightly more than I did before. But only on a weekday, before school finishes. And only for two reasons.

The first reason is that I love buying stuff for Punky. Clothes, toys, doesn't matter, I could spend all of my money and then some just buying shit we don't need for her. Mostly because buying her clothes is easy and I have always wanted to buy ALL the toys!

The other reason is of course when I get to leave said munchkin at home and go shopping by myself! Is there anything more blissful when you're a parent? Ok, maybe going to the toilet by yourself, or doing anything by yourself for that matter can be pretty blissful, but for me, I just find shopping by myself to be a bit of a drug. The more I do it the more I want to do it! Need to do it! Anyone else feel like that?

The one kind of shopping I still don't like, at any time on any day of the week, is grocery shopping. I remember when we first moved in to our own place, grocery shopping was awesome! We could buy whatever we wanted, eat whatever we wanted, and do it whenever we wanted because we now only lived 5 mins from the shops, rather than 25 mins.
Word.

We also may or may not have indulged in a few sessions of 'sessions' (or as How I Met Your Mother calls it, eating sandwiches), which made it even more fun to go do some grocery shopping and buy ALL the lollies!

But as the years went on and our 'sandwich eating' days came to an end, grocery shopping just became a chore. A major pain-in-the-arse chore. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than scrubbing the shower and washing the kitchen floor, but only just!

Trying to figure out what the bloody hell to have for dinner every night, and then making sure we have all of the ingredients is the most bat-shit boring, majorly irrates-inducing task of the week. I absolutely hate it and freely admit to trying to get out of it as often as possible, with the flimsiest excuses known to man.

When Punky was newly born and breastfeeding every 2 minutes I had the best excuse ever. Now that we are down to one feed a day its getting harder and harder to come up with excuses that Dave will accept for me not accompanying him on the weekly grocery shop. I pride myself on being a world-class excuse maker but I am seriously running low on viable ideas.

So tell me, what annoys you the most about shopping? Or are you one of those people that loves it, no matter what, when and where? And have you got any sweet excuses I can use to get out of further grocery shopping? Credit will not be given. Sorry.

As always I am linking this post up for the most essential of essential link-up's, IBOT. And it's run by the equally essential Jess, from none other than the most essential blog on the web, Essentially Jess (the artist formerly known as Diary of a SAHM). If you haven't checked out Jess' awesome new-look blog then I suggest you do. It's my essential reading!
P.S. Next week I will try my hardest not write something other than a rant for IBOT. I promise I'll try!

Comments

Amy xxoo said…
I'm afraid I can't help you Kylie - I actually enjoy sitting down and planning a menu for the week, and then shopping for the ingredients. Doesn't stop me from getting a bit of trolley rage now and again though...
Unknown said…
I hate grocery shopping! I mostly try to do groceries online now. They somehow manage to get the grocery truck up our driveway, so kudos to them, PLUS they put my hundreds of dollars of groceries IN MY kitchen! I don't have to get them from trolley to checkout, or checkout to somehow dangle on the pram without tipping over the toddler, or then from the car to the house, up our rock incline.

I like clothes shopping, though not so much with my two assistants that I normally have with me. I will only attempt this during school hours, then I only have to deal with the scantily clad dropouts and not the school enrolled teenagers. And not half of them have babies too... lol

You were lucky to get out of grocery shopping so long! Try online shopping... go on. dare you!

Sorry if this is coherent I just woke up and cant even open my eyes properly on not enough sleep and no coffee.

Unknown said…
lol, -not- coherent I meant. Ok, turning kettle on now, before I try read any other blogs.
Lydia C. Lee said…
I find it bizarre that people go shopping as a leisure activity. I can cope with about 40 mins tops and then I get glazed eyed and overwhelmed. I have a number of friends and their mummy-daughter activity is shopping. I think that's the saddest thing I ever heard. But it's common so I guess I don't have a teen daughter yet.
But each to their own, I guess...Not everyone is fascinated by the Dakar Rally like me ;)
Redcliffe Style said…
I do love shopping but I hate trying the clothes on in the change room. What is it with those mirrors. Rachel x
I love shopping. Even grocery shopping. I know I know, I need to get out more! x
Mumabulous said…
Sister I hear ya! Every-single-word !!! Sadly as I am on home duties grocery shopping is my cross to bear. It is made vaguely enjoyable by a stop at cafe - alone. Blissfully alone!
Mama Stylista said…
I absolutely abhor grocery shopping! Clothes shopping on the other hand...x
Krystle said…
Once upon a time I was indifferent to shopping. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, just accepted it as something that needed to happen. But since having kids I've grown to detest it. I have a 20 month old who hates shopping. No restraint can keep him from crawling out of a pram or trolley. If he can't get out, he will just screech. If he does escape, he will just run. I loathe shopping nowadays. If we could online grocery shop, I would.
Anonymous said…
I hate Thursday night shopping. I actually find it a bit threatening at our local shops, once all the teenagers congregate and take over the place. I do love shopping through the day (not school holidays) now that Squirm's here - I never knew the shops could be so quiet!
Unknown said…
Im too lazy to shop. I much prefer shopping online in the comfort of my own home of course it is harder to shop for clothes online without trying. I usually shop for makeup online.
I bet that while grocery shopping was really fun after eating sandwiches, you returned with nothing but half eaten packets of chips and chocolate and lots of frozen pizza.
Unknown said…
I love it! But I dont get to do it all the time so I think that helps. I love a whole day at the shops with no children!
Alicia said…
I like shopping for anything, I hate shopping for anything with the kids in tow. The grocery shopping is bearable with them, a punnet of strawberries or a piece of bread out the packet usually fixes that, and they are usually pretty good. But take them anywhere near the likes of BigW or kmart is a right royal pain in the arse. I don't get to look at anything for more than two seconds. Hubby isn't usually much help when he is there, because he has usually bumped into someone that talks as much shit as he does or pisses off because he's got something to look for. I love shopping on my own, it doesn't happen enough!
J Bott said…
I hate grocery shopping with the kids but don't mind it all by myself! As for regular shopping, I never find anything I want but always manage to buy everyone else in the family something, so I hear you!
EssentiallyJess said…
Oh this cracked me up. Mostly because last week, as I was trying on dresses for the launch party, it didn't matter what size I put on, it just didn't fit! I was getting a bigger size each time and still no luck.

As for the rest, here are my thoughts on shopping http://essentiallyjess.com/2012/06/peace-love-shopping/
Jay said…
I like menu planning, but I always grocery shop online, for all the reasons you listed. The same deal with clothes shopping. Or, if I have to go out to get it, I don't really need it.
Kel said…
Oh love, love... it's funny that in spite of our similarities we can be so so different! I live for meal planning, list writing and grocery shopping! With kids its a fun game of "Can we make it out without a domestic dispute?" Without kids, it is essential, enjoyable 'me' time, and I love it! And clothes shopping, oh I could spend hours upon hours checking out clothes and shoes, bliss! BUT, I loathe the crowds. The dawdlers, the ignorant, so annoying!
It's "a horrendous" - you're welcome.

I range from an 8 to a 14 in various brands, ranges and items of clothing. I am neither of these sizes. I get that some brands do "vanity" sizing and some brands are teeny tiny (probably a sign I'm too old to buy from there anymore) but come on, it can't be that hard for the same store to get it right! I bought a size 8 jacket one week, and tried on a similar cut in another fabric from the same store. Needed a 12. Dear gods!

Unknown said…
Online baby, online!!!! But not for fruit and veg. Big mistake. HUGE. ;) I would quite like to see grocery shopping turn into some kind of sport along the lines of roller derby though, a bit like extreme ironing. I still wouldn't like DOING it, but I would watch, for sure.
Maybe it's time to change to online shopping. The first few times are work, but then you can recycle previous lists/ items. We sometimes do Coles online. Delivery cost is $5 or $7. And they carry it inside. ... or you could get pregnant and have a new excuse to stay home ;)
Anonymous said…
I do online woolworths groceries love it cause I can keep track of how much I am spending.....plus I tend to do as many weeks in advance as possible so that I avoid the delivery fee. I hates shopping too trust me you are not alone :)
I share your loathing of shopping Kylie - I even wrote a rant on it last year in the lead up to xmas! I would rather stab myself in the eye than go to any of the major shopping centres in the lead up to the silly season... And I have never looked back since doing online grocery shopping. I have been doing it through Coles for 2 years now and have never had a problem yet. You should really give it a go!
daddownunder said…
There's nothing quite like a good rant about shopping is there Kylie? I have too many gripes to simply list so I posted about them - http://daddownunder.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/not-such-a-supermarket/ Great post Kylie, keep ranting!
Kylie Purtell said…
I think the reason I hate it so much is we always disagree on what we should eat during the week, I want to try new things but the man who actually has to cook said new things is not so keen!
Kylie Purtell said…
Lol, nothing more likely to produce typos than commenting before coffee!

I used to online grocery shop but stopped because I kept forgetting my login details! Must try again though.
Kylie Purtell said…
I too find shopping as a leisure activity bizarre. An hour so yeah, but all day? I couldn't do it.
Kylie Purtell said…
I know! Nothing ever looks as good in the mirror at home as it did in the shops, and that's only if you are lucky enough to get one with a decent mirror. And what happened to the mirrors that were angled so you could see front and back all at once?
Kylie Purtell said…
Lol! Maybe only just getting out more without kids. But then you do that and all you want is to be with the kids. It's a lose-lose situation!
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh, that is my one thing that look forward to about doing the grocery shopping! The chance to stop in at the cafe, even if it's just for 10 minutes. That's probably one thing I miss the most since having Mia, leisurely cafe visits!
Kylie Purtell said…
Isn't grocery shopping the pits. I would like clothes shopping more if I didn't have to take 4 items of the same dress in multiple sizes to find one that fits.
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh no, that would really suck. So far Mia isn't too bad with the shopping, but it can only be a short trip and she has to 'ride' in the trolley, otherwise she gets the shits very quickly.
Kylie Purtell said…
Same! It was a revelation going to the shops during the day after having Mia. It's blissful, all those empty aisles!
Kylie Purtell said…
I too love online shopping. I've never shopped online for clothes though, I'm too scared considering I struggle to find what I need when I'm in the shop to try on he clothes, let alone not being able to try them on!
Kylie Purtell said…
How did you know? There was a lot of frozen food and bags of twisties, that's for sure!
Kylie Purtell said…
A day at the shops with no children I could handle, but only if I had lots of money to spend.
Kylie Purtell said…
My husband does the same thing! He seems to know someone every where we go, even when we werer in Fiji on our honeymoon! And he never introduces me, so I end up standing there looking like a knob while he chats on and the other person throws me quick glances, waiting for an introduction. So over having to butt in and introduce myself.
Kylie Purtell said…
Int funny how that happens. I never run out of things to buy for Dave and Mia
Kylie Purtell said…
I hate it when that happens, I just don't understand why they can't standardise sizes. Surely it couldn't be that hard?
Kylie Purtell said…
That's a good rule of thumb about going out and not really needing it. I might have to adopt that!
Kylie Purtell said…
I am never sure when it comes to the 'ho' I know there is some rule about it being 'an' for a certain consonant sound or letter but can never remember!

And yes I agree, when even the same brand can't get their sizes standardised there is something seriously wrong!
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh I would watch that for sure too! Did you ever watch that show Supermarket Sweep? I loved it when I was kid, always wanted to be on it!
Kylie Purtell said…
I am thinking I need to give the online grocery shopping another go, it's certainly less stressful than going with Dave!

Getting pregnant is definitely a viable option! Definitely gonna look in to that option!
Kylie Purtell said…
Once we get our new freezer I am looking froward to doing some bulk buying, makes life so much easier to do a few weeks in advance, I agree.
Kylie Purtell said…
Shopping around Christmas is the absolute worst! I hate it more than grocery shopping! Last year I was super organised and had everything bought by October, purely because I didn't want to be shopping at 39 weeks pregnant or with a newborn. This year I am not as organised and I am kicking myself!
Kylie Purtell said…
I remember reading that post when you wrote it and nodding along thinking yes to everything!

I love nothing more than having a good rant, about anything really, it's good for the soul!
Veronicali said…
I'm so glad to hear of others like me who detest shopping! Although the grocery shop's not quite so horrendous now I've moved to a country area, less people = emptier aisles. The barefoot shoppers here shit me though.
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