Consumerism, multiple car trips: tiring

[shootingstar]

wow. It's been several years since I visited 6 different stores in a local car trip over 4 hrs. We started off at 10:30 am. Not early.

Part of this was for fun to see certain stores, buy some stuff. And my friend loves driving. She drives very well. (She understands also about cycling, transit, that's part of her paid job for govn't.)

We went to an Italian store for lovely lunch +some groceries, then Middle Eastern bakery + down the road, Middle Eastern grocery store, beauty hair products store, fabric store (which now I figure out by bike how to get there), Polish grocery store and finally a big box grocery store.

This time no need to go visit a Chinese supermarket.

I prepared supper for us. I was strangely tired. My friend was more tired because she did the driving. She napped.

The only reason I can figure out my tiredness...was ..well all that consumerism. Which I don't experience as ...a cyclist. Usually I just visit 3 stores/establishments.because I can't and don't need to buy much.

Can consumerism be tiring?

[Blueberry]

Can consumerism be tiring?

Absolutely. I came from a very consumerist family (both parents are still in massive debt in their old age due to over-shopping). I was used to going shopping as a pass-time - it's just what my family did. My poor DH use to be totally overwhelmed by the bright lights and big displays in malls - and I didn't understand why. Fast forward 10 years. I've figured out that retail therapy (as we used to call it) isn't going to make me happy. We have been simplifying our lives to only the things that matter to us, and have been buying much less. I'm now the one who has a very limited threshold for shopping and I *hate* malls. I find them oddly disorienting (too many lights, too much distraction). I prefer to shop online for things like clothing and in local, non-chain stores for other things. I dread our trips to Costco (we use for bulk household stuff and some healthy food) and Target (for contact solution, toothpaste, etc.).

My theory is that all of the lights and the displays overstimulate by brain since it's not used to that anymore. After all, being designed by marketers, they are all geared towards grabbing our attention when we enter the store.

Don't even get me started on the car buying process (see Dear So and So) - due to an unfortunate circumstance we are having to visit well more car dealers than I would prefer (which is, honestly, zero). In our area, we do need a car (there are places that aren't well served by public transit and safe to go on a bike) - but we don't need two, and we are having issues with getting rid of the one we have.

[Helene2013]

A bit like Blueberry mentions (minus parents part). I think we shopped way more when we 1st purchsed our homes as you "need" more things. It is never ending.

But now, most things I do are on-line. Cheaper, and you do buy less as not tempted to get stuff you see in aisles.

I would sooooo love to downsize our home and go with one car but hubby is not there yet. I think it is the most discussed subject between us.

He always need to go out (shopping) to get this, or that. WHY?????? I can get it on line for you babe. hahaa

So yes, shopping is tiring, I hate it and hate the way the marketing is pushing you to spend for things you would never even think to buy but suddenly need. geezzz.

[Pax]

Right there with everyone else about hating shopping. I hate knowing that marketing professionals have every single second of your store visit geared to make you buy, watching TV is about the same, it's not for entertainment it's to sell you things. I'm a shopping curmudgeon.

[zoom-zoom]

I finally got around to checking out a new (opened a few months ago) outlet mall <1 hour away, a few days ago. The experience was exhausting and I ended up spending WAY more than I had planned. Because pricing and discounts were sort of confusing. When I shop online I know exactly how much I'm spending before I complete the transaction. There's no pressure, I'm not crunched for time, I don't have my kid along adding to the stress. As much as I want to spend locally, it ends up being a less than positive experience and I spend more than I'd like and end up purchasing things I didn't necessarily even want, just to be done with the process. And I didn't even find some of the things I was actually looking for going into the shopping expedition.

[Crankin]

My free time used to be spent shopping. Exercise was reserved for the early morning, and then came work/family time. We went to the mall for entertainment!
Now, my free time is spent riding, nordic skiing, and a few classes at the gym, as well as eating in restaurants, and theatre. We buy almost everything on-line. I do grocery shop (I actually like it), and buy things at the drugstore and a few local places. Since there are few stores that sell clothes I like, in my size, I buy them all on line, with maybe a twice a year exception. There is one store I like near me, but the clothing is getting cheap, so I don't go as much. Never, ever have liked places like Costco, and even when I shopped a lot, I refused to go there. All of my friends do, though.
I do like shopping in local/unusual type stores. That doesn't tire me. About a month ago, we spent 4 hours in Crate and Barrel, buying new furniture. I was ready to die, but it had to be done. There's been too many things bought, where I said to DH, "Go, I don't care," and then there ended up being something I disliked about the purchase. And car dealers, feh. My last purchase, I felt rushed and bought a car that is bigger than I wanted. The extended warranty is up in April, so I need to decide. Planned on keeping the car 10 years, but I hate it. I hardly do any driving now, so I may tough it out.

[emily_in_nc]

Shopping IS tiring. Like many of you, I used to love going to the mall, viewed it as entertainment too. Now, it's one of my least favorite things to do. I much prefer shopping online. I do like grocery shopping and browsing in interesting, unique, non-chain smaller stores. There are a couple of malls here in Playa del Carmen, and I have only been in one, once, when DH was doing something, and I needed to kill some time. It was super hot, and this was one of the few air-conditioned places around. I only went in one store, the rest I just walked around outside in the common area. Just not my thing!

There is one larger store I love to shop in, and that is REI. Yum.

[Crankin]

I like REI, too, although I can only buy equipment there. I've bought 2 pair of x country skis/poles/boots there and new hiking boots. The clothing is just too big on me. The x small is for skinny tall people!

[rebeccaC]

There is one larger store I love to shop in, and that is REI. Yum.

i stopped in the main seattle store on a trip to wa. It makes our santa monica store, which is big, look like a kiosk I do like the Patagonia store here a little better for those kind of clothes though. If REI also carries it I will buy it there because of the yearly rebate. For equipment though REI is a great place.

The L.A. area has everything you could ever want to buy. i check online and then call for more expensive photography things (B & H in N.Y.C.) because of no taxes and free shipping but for most other things i prefer to support local stores/employees. I only spend money that i have so my shopping is more limited and frugal because of that...well, frugal except for the clothes needed for my work with clients/presentations/conferences etc...Barneys especially ftw for that and for being able to try on and get items tailored for free if that's necessary. I do enjoy a girls day with lunch and clothes shopping, seeing what certain designers are doing for each season and adding items that will go well with a number of the things in my closet.

eta...blueberry...because of some specific consumer/environmental laws here in ca. there are some huge law suits against V.W. seeking complete buy backs at market prices of their diesel affected cars. When i bought my honda crv i did research to narrow down my make/model choices and the corresponding price i was willing to pay, taxes/licensing included. i only went to dealer's to test drive then when i settled on the crv i asked the salesman who i was dealing with to give me the paper work needed to be filled out for their 1% financing being offered, left with the paperwork and dropped it off the next day telling him the price i was willing to pay and to call me if that worked out and i would come back and finish the process. When i went back it took less than an hour to drive off with the car. i also let them know that i was more than willing to just immediately walk away if any games over my price were started.

[Catrin]

I hate shopping, but I hate stressing over getting deliveries even more (have had a few stolen that was left at my apartment door). I still shop online but a lot of things I will only purchase in a brick and mortar store. Part of it is not having to worry about getting my delivery safely, but it's also about wanting to actually see what I'm purchasing and trying it on for fit if it is clothing. So often I've had to send things back because it doesn't look anything like the picture on the website - just easier to find it locally if I can. I can't handle more than 2 stores at a time though, so I will often comparison price shop online to thin out the competition. I often want a nap when I get home because it is just so draining, over-stimulation I'm sure.

I also love REI, and have been lus*...ummmm....desirous of some of their wonderful Prada sweaters. Thankfully they are outrageously priced enough that I've been able to walk away from them. So far

[emily_in_nc]

I like REI, too, although I can only buy equipment there. I've bought 2 pair of x country skis/poles/boots there and new hiking boots. The clothing is just too big on me. The x small is for skinny tall people!

That is true for some things, for sure, but I have bought petite length pants in REI store brand before -- very nice quality zip-off pants for hiking and travel. Seems like I bought some other brand pants there once that happened to come in a "short" length. And I even bought a cute Prana stretchy sundress in XS that was perfect for my height. And some of the tops are fine too. And shoes. And bike clothes. Oh hell, I've bought a lot of stuff there over the years -- equipment too. Of course, since I'm in Mexico now, just the thought of browsing through an REI makes me salivate. Can't even do online shopping here since I'd probably never get it, even IF they'd ship to Mexico. Fortunately, I had a lot of stuff sent to my mom's the last time we passed through NC.

[shootingstar]

We all have our fave shops and stops...occasional at least for me. Yes, REI, bike shops, bookstores. I only go several times / year.

I didn't mind she and I wandered through some different ethnic stores because we both found the goods interesting and what predominated. I had never seen a broad range of couscous as found in Middle Eastern shops and in sacks at reasonable prices. Or 10 different types of dill pickles at the Polish food store.

But she and I did buy stuff, that we normally would have not thought of. She said several times to herself, "here I'm buying stuff that I truly don't need".
Too bad fabric store didn't have neon coloured zipper for me to replace semi-broken on my bike jacket...

But for me, no not shopping every weekend for entertainment. It's only food shopping. Everything else is only a few times per year. Yea, I will be going to Seattle to shop (even if our Canadian dollar is weak) but also take in a local museum.

However, I think in our city if some people don't disappear off to the Rocky Mountains or aren't into the few cultural activities (pretty thin choices compared to Vancouver or Toronto), they go....to the shopping malls if it's cold outside. One signal would be the high volume of cars parked in the shopping mall parking lots.

And today, it was around 8 degrees C, sunny, very little wind. I hardly saw anyone on the bike paths either cycling or walking/jogging through our large parks system.

[ny biker]

I love to shop. I love to try on clothes. I love to search for the perfect whatever I am looking for.

I like the Internet for the information it can provide on certain things that I want to buy. But I also like going to stores. Some malls I don't like, because of traffic or bad layouts, but there are enough that I do like.