Even less curation: Order your groceries online. Search for exactly what you want from your keyboard. Pick up or have delivered. Boom. Also: comparison shop online before going to a store so you know what you're looking for. Certain websites (like REI) allow you to choose different things, e.g., shoes, and compare them. Cut down your clothes, jewelry, toiletries, etc. to only your favorites.
We gave Costco a try and absolutely hated it. Every visit was like going to Disney World or something. Completely overwhelming. I realized my ideal would be to walk into an old mercantile like on Little House on the Prairie and just telling the grocer what I need - 5 pounds of flour and a bag of nails. 😂
Ironically, this is one of the reasons that I love Costco! They don’t carry 80 flavors of cereal... just a handful. If you want chicken nuggets, there’s one brand. Bath towels? Only one brand and often only 2-3 colors. For me, Costco means less decisions. I think that’s a reason the people find TJs more soothing... once you know you want tomato sauce, your decision is done. No comparing prices or brands or sizes in the aisle.
I do strategic trips for hardware/home stores. Canadian Tire (hardware/kitchen/cleaning/paint/garden) has most things of this ilk we need. I go in with a list after looking up which aisles the items are stocked in. Wandering aisles (and in grocery stores) used to be soothing or at least interesting but now I’m so uninterested in shopping that wandering feels hellish.
I hear you on the overwhelm! With food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, and nightshades, and the biggest relief is knowing there are only a few items on a menu (let alone restaurants or cuisines) I can eat. And I haven't been inside a Costco for years for similar reasons—thank God for Instacart!
Always love reading your perspective on very down-to-earth topics that impact all of us. Oftentimes, I find myself reading and thinking to myself, "Hmmm, Christine has got a good point" Definitely too many choices, which just suffocates the mind with useless clutter. When it comes to shopping, I know what I want and if I don't know, I will do my research at home. Trying to comb through small labels at store makes me want to lie down in the aisle and take a nap....
Even less curation: Order your groceries online. Search for exactly what you want from your keyboard. Pick up or have delivered. Boom. Also: comparison shop online before going to a store so you know what you're looking for. Certain websites (like REI) allow you to choose different things, e.g., shoes, and compare them. Cut down your clothes, jewelry, toiletries, etc. to only your favorites.
We gave Costco a try and absolutely hated it. Every visit was like going to Disney World or something. Completely overwhelming. I realized my ideal would be to walk into an old mercantile like on Little House on the Prairie and just telling the grocer what I need - 5 pounds of flour and a bag of nails. 😂
Ironically, this is one of the reasons that I love Costco! They don’t carry 80 flavors of cereal... just a handful. If you want chicken nuggets, there’s one brand. Bath towels? Only one brand and often only 2-3 colors. For me, Costco means less decisions. I think that’s a reason the people find TJs more soothing... once you know you want tomato sauce, your decision is done. No comparing prices or brands or sizes in the aisle.
I do strategic trips for hardware/home stores. Canadian Tire (hardware/kitchen/cleaning/paint/garden) has most things of this ilk we need. I go in with a list after looking up which aisles the items are stocked in. Wandering aisles (and in grocery stores) used to be soothing or at least interesting but now I’m so uninterested in shopping that wandering feels hellish.
I hear you on the overwhelm! With food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, and nightshades, and the biggest relief is knowing there are only a few items on a menu (let alone restaurants or cuisines) I can eat. And I haven't been inside a Costco for years for similar reasons—thank God for Instacart!
Always love reading your perspective on very down-to-earth topics that impact all of us. Oftentimes, I find myself reading and thinking to myself, "Hmmm, Christine has got a good point" Definitely too many choices, which just suffocates the mind with useless clutter. When it comes to shopping, I know what I want and if I don't know, I will do my research at home. Trying to comb through small labels at store makes me want to lie down in the aisle and take a nap....