I recorded a video for NewsBreak about this same topic as this article the other day; here is the link.
I thought I would get some feedback about shopping for food when you are either a disorganized or organized shopper. I wasn't disappointed.
I received some great comments from both sides of the aisle when it comes to food shopping and life in general.
I had one comment that accused me of never going shopping until I retired and how I was claiming I was an expert.
Let me set the record straight. I've been shopping since I was a kid when my grandmother first took me. Also, I am not an expert and never claimed to be. Watch the video!
For me, I am a disorganized food shopper. Having ADHD doesn't help, but one would think I would want to be more organized when food shopping, but that's far from the truth.
I enjoy what I call the thrill of the hunt. When I say hunt, it doesn't mean I don't know what I'm shopping for because I do have a list. I don't have a strategic plan to shop for everything I need.
I like going up different aisles as I move along with no rhyme or reason. I may need pasta and some fixing to go with that, but I don't just shop on that one aisle. I may go from aisle to aisle and then go back to where I was to get what I need. Why, you ask? Because it's the thrill of the hunt.
If I work the store the way my brain works, it becomes fun to shop. For me going up and down aisles tends to become a treasure hunt for things I didn't have on my list or hadn't thought of before I left the house. It doesn't matter how long it takes, and it's about the fun I'm having.
I find ethnic spices and items I don't usually use but have always wanted to try and grab them. Of course, this can make for a hefty food bill, but I'm cautious as I shop, or at least most of the time.
If I went into a market with a pre-planned shopping spree in my head and on paper, I probably would never see those hidden gems I wanted to check out.
When you look for treasure when food shopping, I find that the experience of being in a crowded market with once in a while rude people and shopping can take that stress away as soon as you find that hidden gem of food you've always wanted to try.
This doesn't always work for the person who may be shopping with you. Patti and I do a great deal of food shopping together, and luckily her ADHD works in conjunction with mine. She may be a bit more organized than I am, like remembering to get the frozen stuff last and the veggies and fruit, but then she'll walk up and down aisles looking for treasures just like me. That's what makes it fun to shop together.
Shopping organized also can make a busy food shopping day like a Saturday fun again. I mean, you know how markets can get when they are busy on a Saturday or the first of the month when food stamps and government checks come out. It can be a jungle out there, and you're risking your life at some markets.
There are some great articles on organized food shopping on the web, and I've read a ton of them, but none of them so far interest me. It isn't something I wasn't to change. I like my style of shopping disorganized as it is, but I do find treasures that I would never have found if I was shopping organized.
Although I will be honest, I have known organized shoppers who will disagree with me. They also claim to find great treasures in a more organized way.
I ask, what fun is that?
Organized or Disorganized? What’s Your Style?