I am overwhelmed by shopping. anyone else?
 

OMG! what is wrong with people? :confused:

I went to Target, because I need a new cell phone, and a new toothbrush. The parking lot was very crowded. I am in the slow lane lately, so the DH dropped me at the door. In I went. I wandered back to the electronic section in hopes of getting Susan Boyles new CD. EVERY isle was crammed with folks. Moms with kids in carriages, and kids roaming free without parents. (is it a school holiday?) loads of kids! I finally got my CD and wandered to the prepaid cell phone section.

I needed help cause the phone I want to look at is locked up. I looked at the camera counter, and its PACKED! 4 employees helping 5 or 6 shoppers and more in line asking questions about cameras and video games. Again, children everywhere! I turned back to see a woman in her 40s pushing my carriage (with me hanging onto it) off to the side so SHE could get a better view of the only cell phone left that I wanted! I took my body back to the side of the carriage and said "excuse me! I am buying that phone, I am just waiting on the cashier to unlock it. She snorted and went to the cashier and LOUDLY said "I want to buy that phone! can you please unlock it for me!" OMG! :eek: The cashier comes over and asked ME to please step aside so she could unlock the phone. I said NO! I have been waiting patiently for you to come unlock it and I was here long before this woman CUT THE LINE! The woman butted in that "first come first served!" and the cashier said "Im sorry mam, but this lady has been here a while waiting right here for this phone." She unlocked it, and said "come on over, I will ring you up." The rude woman stomped off to get a manager. I frequently shop this Target and the staff knows me. My neighbor works there, and I do get quite a few things from the electronic section. Had this employee not known me, i would have been shoved to the side.

I tucked my newly paid for phone in my cart, and off I went to see other things. EVERY isle was crammed with people! where did they all come from? What the heckpie is going on? I went to get the toothbrushes, and found I was blocked by women shopping in teams. Using the WHOLE isle to chatter about children or neighbors. I had to SCREAM EXCUSE ME! Can I get to the toothbrushes please?! and one made a snide comment about how rude folks can be. I said "whats rude is taking up the whole isle to GOSSIP! there is a snack area, where you can grab a seat and chat all you want without blocking every isle! they mumbled the B word as they left.

8 cashiers were open and ALL lines were 12 deep. ARe they giving stuff away? I had to dig way in the back to find the tooth brush I wanted as it was on sale, and appeared that someone had tried to hide one to come back for later. Children running with sticky fingers touching every peice of candy and childs movie up next to the registers. Sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and runny nosed with parents simply unaware of how badly their children are behaving. I would have been upset had my children run over folks like that.

I have noticed since MS i am very intolerant of other shoppers. I am tired, I am overwhelmed by the lights, noise, and the intensity of kids. I dont want to catch whatever they have and their snot covered hands are touching every item in the store!

When did people get so rude? were they always rude and i just didnt notice? When did we decide to turn our kids lose upon others? Am i one of those cat ladies screaming "get off my lawn!" when did I get this tired?

Is it just me? or do you get overwhelmed quickly in stores that are crowded?

This is why I shop online and go directly to the cell phone store on off hours. LOL

Online shopping is the only way for me. I feel the same way about the whole mess as dejibo.

gmi

The only way you'd catch me in any store, shopping, is being drug in, screaming all the way:eek:.

No way, Jose..
Online is the only way. :D

I do my shopping online, too.

I can't take the noise, flashing lights and crowds in the stores.

On top of all that, so many people have absolutely no manners. Either that or some folks consider it festive to butt in front of the clearly disabled woman with the small child. :mad: I feel so bad for the sales clerks who have to put up with these lump of coal candidates.

Nope. I'll stick with my PC, a comfy chair, a cup of hot cider and a world wide marketplace.

Cheers

I shop online, if a store - /never on weekend, never on December. Went to Target on Dember long ago and too scared to ever go back before Christmas. Merry to YOU too

I shop online, if a store - /never on weekend, never on December. Went to Target on December long ago and am too scared to ever go back before Christmas. Merry to YOU too from others was, I felt, was too loud. YIKES!

I once shopped a sale at Ikea. With 5 strangers, banded together, like tribes or something to survive, sat on big merchandise to claim it. Never again. Would rather pay full-price.

Kicker is right: Christmas shopping could inspire a reality TV show.

SURVIVOR WAL-MART: 100 frenzied shoppers battle muzak, cluttered aisles and each other in a desperate, no-holds-barred attempt to get the last remaining Baby Alive Goes Potty doll their child will play with for five minutes before tossing it aside Christmas morning.

It would be funny if some poor clerk hadn't been killed in a shopping stampede. Black Friday is right. "Tis the season to be greedy..."

Cheers

My friend, Maurine, called and asked me to take her shopping in the Big City. Since her car wreck 4 years ago everything overwhelms her. Plus, she just had her lg. bowel removed a couple of months ago.

She's divorced and doesn't really have much support from family, so I'm taking her shopping on Monday. We've been friends for years and years, so it will be fun.

I just have to remind myself not to be in a hurry and to be patient, then I'll be okay. I DO like to shop, so that helps! :)

I did some small shopping for presents for my dad online. (couple of audio books, and something for his Kindle and his iMac).

I took my mom to Target on friday afternoon to get my dad another present. I was really really sick with a cold...I stole an asthma inhaler from my mom's stash of inhalers so that I could breathe. My mom had more energy to walk thru the store than I did, and she usually needs the electric scooter. (there werent any, apparently the old folks home had brought a bunch of their residents in to shop in the off hours)

My mom walked thru the store with me using a shopping cart as a walker, (I was practically crawling on the floor)

We got my dad his one present that she'd been looking at getting him, walked around a little bit, looked at stuff so I could get an idea of what she wanted and then I insisted on going home so I could collapse and die on the floor from hypoxia.

Took my dad back down to Target later that night to get grape flavored Delsym and buy my mom one of the gifts that she'd expressed an interest in.

That's about all I've done in the actually going out Xmas shopping.

I did buy, on my dad's request, one item from the Home Shopping Network the other day. Very cool. I'd bought something from them in 1997 or 1998, and they STILL had my information in the computer (old address tho) I'm going to do some more HSN shopping in a couple of minutes.

I think my dad's upstairs watching QVC...I need to tell Santa Dad that I want the cool camcorder I just saw on that channel a couple of minutes ago...

I think he's also shopping on Amazon. He goes thru a link from his credit card company, and anything he buys with his credit card he gets double points for his credit card's reward program. My dad is a shopping monster...as long as he doesnt have to leave the house.

Too bad my mom is one of those that has to go to the store...and I always have to go with her to do it.

At least I can have her watch HSN or QVC and she might do some shopping from that (telling me what she wants to get, and I do the calling to order)

Hopefully I'll be over my cold in a few days and will have the energy to take her back out shopping. Hopefully I dont catch another cold out there with the unwashed hordes of rude shoppers.

DH has asked what I am going to get for his neices, nephews, and the like this year. I said "I am giving YOU the list!" I handed him his sisters phone numbers. He said "whats this?" I replied "its what I do every year! its YOUR turn!" he seemed stunned. I said "call your sister. Have a pencil and a peice of paper ready. she will give you a list of names of kids, and what each one wants with the right sizes and colors (god bless that girl) and then, YOU go to the store, and buy them."

I got the shocked face, and the "but you do it so well" routine. he called his sis who gave him a list. he took his list to Wal-mart and was gone HOURS! he came back looking shell shocked and possibly PTSD. I said "I dont see any bags hun, where are the presents?" He held up one small plastic bag and said..."this is IT, I am DONE! I will never do that again!" I called him a baby and snatched the bag away from him.

Inside were 12 gift cards to walmart. He went to take a nap. Mumbling something about ankle clipping old ladies in shopping carts. Poor thing.

I do shopping online, do gift subscriptions to Readers Digest to Sis and Hubby and send a check to DS and his family so THEY can shop! :)

I am all done since there is just DH, Mom and I. Just waiting for the UPS truck to deliver goodies.

ho ho ho; I am staying HOME, shopping in my jammies with a cup of hot chocolate ready to face another vicious Arizona Winter!! :cool:

I just came back from Walmart.

:eek:

and it wasnt even that busy, but the hordes of screaming children seemed to be following us around. In the grocery side, in the yarn aisle, in the gadget aisle where my dad was showing me the kitchen stuff he wants.

It was like it was the same family of kids...and they had those stupid Heelie shoes on. :mad: (what parent lets those kids wear Heelie shoes in a store where they can crash into breakable stuff and stuff that can break them? Plus, what if they fall? They're not wearing helmets. I dont want to get splattered with brain matter when they fall down and crack their heads open)

I made sure to cough in their general direction when they kept running past our cart and pushing it out of the way...or screaming in my ear. Hope they get my cold. If they get my cold, they'll get laryingitis and they wont be able to scream.

My dad and I only went to get salad, a clicker for my outdoor Xmas lights (old clicker keeps shutting the lights off) and for me to get a pair of knitting needles. (because I need 50 pairs of size 8 bamboo knitting needles. I buy new needles almost everytime I'm there)

We walked around so I could get an idea of what my dad wants for Xmas. (well, he tells me outright which things to get. I just have to go back with my mom to get them and hopefully make her think she thought of it all)

It wouldnt have been so bad if the Wheelie-wearing-horde-of-sniffling children werent following us thru the store.

I wonder if my mom would be willing to go to WalMart at 3am, so we could shop without screaming-Wheelie-wearing-children crashing into our shopping carts....and so we could possibly have a chance of getting an electric scooter that has a decent battery and doesnt crap out on my mom back in sporting goods.

I do all my shopping online. Even in the off-holiday season. I wish I had known how relaxing it was years ago......I would have started doing it earlier! :rolleyes:

I can't take the crowds, noise, and lights. It puts me in a bad mood and I don't enjoy it anymore. There's absolutely nothing I need (or want) that cannot be purchased online so that's my only way to shop now.

Whenever the grocery has good buy-one-get-one-free specials I stock up on things like toothbrushes, laundry and dishwasher detergents, non-perishable foods and paper products. I rarely run out of anything anymore.

I'm in the mood to shop now! I'm off to the cyber-mall! :cool:

i do get overwhelmed dej.
that's why for one, i've done a lot of QVC shopping (television). the only problem is if you don't like it you have to pay to ship it back. but it's worked out for me. i just can't do stores anymore.

for two, after thanksgiving i NEVER go into the stores. maybe just for a special something but generally i have everything done by T. and, i buy thru out the yr so i never have much to do at the holidays.

good luck this yr.
or, start out VERY early or at dinner time. less people.

I think I should have stayed home rather than go to WalMart today. I'm suffering now. Left eye is feeling cloudy and fuzzy...and I keep falling asleep at my computer.

Stupid me went shopping while I'm sick with a cold. (someone smack me for being stupid) Now I dont know how long it's going to take for me to recover from that hour long trip.

geeze...I fell asleep typing this! (about 20 mins) I can see better now...sorta

People go nuts if they think they are getting something "on sale" ...little do they really know it usually isn't a bargain.

I did have to go shopping on Black Friday and today, but timing is everything! Down here in AL football is king and smart cookies know to use that game time to go shopping. :D During those two hours die hard fans are glued to TVs...which means fewer cars and people to deal with. Since today was the last football game any of our colleges would be playing in, it is safe to say I will not be doing any shopping on Saturdays the rest of December.;)

Pam, all your neighbors were over here in GA for the game at the Georgia Dome yesterday! You should have had a great day for shopping! :D

Good for you! I cheered out loud when I read this! Good for you!

We stopped doing the shopping thing about 5 years or so ago. That is when I began letting our family know that donations have been made in their names to various charities. We usually do a food bank, an animal charity, and something like Red Cross or other relief agency every year. No one on my "shopping list" needs anything, really, and we don't have the time, energy or money to shop for all those gifts that get unwrapped and returned anyway. So we just give notes reminding them of our blessings and how we would rather bless others this time of year.

Of course, with a new (first) grandson we will be buying some gifts. But we won't be the set of grandparents piling on the gifts. Hopefully we will be the ones able to give some really good memories and interesting experiences, and our gifts will just become reminders of those times.


And you are not alone feeling overwhelmed at the mall, and I regularly fantasize about a flame-thrower on the front of my shopping cart at the grocery store, otherwise I might never get the shopping done!

I'm an online shopper. hate the big stores.

But I did ALL my family pressies in september to get it in the mail for land and sea postage rate for xmas. All done.

Just my boys to go and they're easy.

I have had my personal Christmas shopping done lone ago. My DH waits till the 2nd week of December all the time, and then its rush, rush, rush. All his nieces and nephews are grown with babies of their own. Our own kids are grown. We no longer go hog wild for the kids. We buy something small, and meaningful. We help thru the whole year, and not just on holidays. When Christmas rolls around, my son gets his traditional blue zip up hoodie, and my DD gets her music CD. After that, its love, affection, approval, and cheerleading.

I know better than to go to the stores after Dec 1, I really do! I dont know why I chose to get my toothbrush and cell phone then, but my old cell may or may not make it till Christmas. I would be upset if it died.

I am happy to know I am not alone. I simply dont want to tangle with the brats, bullies, and b**ches out there during the season. sheesh! What a mess.

My BP went up just reading what you said.

:o

I shop online. Still wigging cuz I have no idea what to get for anybody, but at least it'll come to my door when I figure it out.

Thing I really hate about shopping - when you're standing by a product trying to either grab it or decide if you want it, and people expect you to just move along so they can get through. Hello? It's a store and I'm trying to put things in my cart here.

:rolleyes:

Dh always gives in. I let them go around or wait.

And the parking lot. WHY do people HAVE to drive right past the door? Unless you're dropping someone off, WHY do they have to drive right where EVERYONE is going to walk? LOL that slays me. I park at the way back of the lot and walk it.

I once loved Christmas and shopping and creating magic for my two in presents and fun traditions. But MS and their age has changed all that. Their new wants are not stuff I know - technology, etc. I start in summer, get a reasonable pile, but DD wants $$$ to buy own clothes, we differ in taste. DS wants guitar related stuff and electronics, way outside my ken. DH thought the decorating, buying and food magic side of Christmas just happened, now sees some grownup has to do it and is amazed. I remember Christmas Eves of screwdrivers, batteries, etc. as small kids want to play as soon as they see their new toys. He slept through all that, having eaten Santa's cookies already. Now I just put out stuff to decorate I really like.

I used to decorate, and spruce up, and the house was filled with laughter, children, relative, and song. it was sparkling clean, and so merry and bright. The tree was stuffed with presents, both under, and upon it. now...its not gonna happen. I dont have the strength, the energy, the time, or the desire to work myself silly. The children are grown with lives of their own. We go visit relatives that have small ones in the house, and are happy with that. There is no work to put it all up, and no work to get it all back down, and into the boxes. I donated it to the homeless shelter, and they use the stuff every year.

I miss those days. I miss that laughter, and the anticipation of the kids waiting to see if santa got that bike or that doll for them. The giggles and the smiles. I am at the in between stage. The kids are grown, but no babies of their own. They have committed partners, but are busy with careers and not worried about babies coming home yet.

Till then, I am just gonna try to enjoy the quiet time of reflection. :cool:

I'm at that stage, too, Dej. I truly miss the anticipation of the kids as Christmas got closer and closer. I tried to instill in them the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate. My youngest DS (when he was about 6) wanted to have a birthday party for Jesus one year.....and we did! It was fun. I was glad that he understood why we celebrate and not just the material and commercial aspect of it. Too many people just see the "what's in it for me" side of the holiday.

I got my Wii fit plus today! :D

I ordered it online, got free shipping and the UPS hunk with the cute tush (oops; I meant to say the nice young man) brought it right to my door. :rolleyes:

Merry Christmas to me and to DH when he is able to get up and move to the groove.

His Christmas gift from me is a ride in a race car at Vegas speedway but we have to wait till he heals from his bypass but it's a good incentive to get all better. :cool:

I can't take the crowds and noise anymore at all. I used to love it! I musta been nuts :D!

Unfortunately I can't afford to shop for Christmas until January this year :(. This has never happened before. I'm not even getting a tree. My kids say they're fine with this but it is just sooo not okay with me. I love to take the time to figure out what each person really wants and then see their happy faces on Christmas morning :).

I'm in the process of separating from my husband and it's gonna be a strange year anyway so this makes it worse somehow. Okay, now that I've hijacked the thread and whined my way through this post :) (sorry btw), I'm gonna get my son to climb up in the attic and get the little fake tree that's up there! I think I'll make each kid and their girlfriends their favorite cookies on Christmas eve and wrap them up for the morning! :D. No mall for me :D!

Want some Cheese, Joelle? :D :hug:

I know everybody else is busy too, but if you know anyone who has the same interest, recruit them to help with gifts you don't understand.

One of the most fond memories I have is helping my brother pick a guitar and all the trimmings for his son. Bro has no clue about these things but I do. We had the best day in the music store.

We snagged a sweet black Fender, a little Krate amp. I gave my SIL advice that year too - my other nephew got a similar guitar.

I still grab things for my nephew when I see them - strings, a tuner, books, picks. He was just 7 when he got the thing, but he can play. And he likes Johnny Cash and Elvis.

How cool is THAT? :cool:

Tech stuff is the same way - I ask my ds or dd to send me an Amazon link.
:wink: