How to Make Shopping More Bearable If You Hate Shopping

By Danielle Wirsansky on October 30, 2019

No one enjoys doing things that they hate doing. When you hate doing something, you can usually manage to avoid doing it. However, shopping is an activity that some people love while others hate it. Sadly for those who hate it, shopping is usually inevitable. You can’t live your whole life without ever going shopping again.

If you do hate shopping, there are a few strategies that you can try to help make it more bearable. Read on to learn some tips and tricks that you can try!

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Know Exactly Where You Need To Go

The first thing to establish is where exactly you need to go to get what you need. You should not be blasé about it, like, “I can probably get it at the mall.” But where in the mall? Malls are usually pretty big places with dozens of stores. You are not exactly helping yourself out with that. Know exactly where you need to go to get what you need so you do not have to wander in and out of stores feeling wretched as you try and figure out where you can find what you need. That will only make you hate shopping more!

By figuring out where exactly to go to get your goods makes the process more simple and minimizes how much shopping you need to do and how much time the shopping will actually take. If you hate the indecision, the lack of knowledge on where to find items, then cut that step out!

Create a plan. Do your research. Know where you need to go. Pop in and out and be done with your shopping!

Know Exactly What You Need

Furthermore, you need to know exactly what you need. Otherwise, how will you know exactly where you need to go or what item to pick up? The indecision of it all is a huge element that makes shopping unbearable for some folks.

Do not just say, I need to go grocery shopping. That is way too vague! There are thousands upon thousands of food items you could possibly buy, and that just builds up the indecision and the overwhelming feeling that can take place when you are presented with so many options. Make yourself a grocery list and know exactly what you need to get and how much or many of each item.

Need to find someone a present? Do not just put down “Find a present” on your list. Decide what the present will be. Otherwise, you will be wandering in and out of stores, agonizing, wishing you did not care enough about this person to put yourself through the torturous process that some call shopping. Deciding what to get someone can be difficult, but it probably will not be as painful as shopping for the present if you really and truly hate shopping.

Make it simple. Make it easier for yourself. Come prepared knowing exactly what you need to get so you can be in and out, making shopping as bearable as possible.

Make A List

Part of knowing exactly what you need is making a list. Sure, you knew exactly what you needed to buy when you were sitting at your kitchen table at home or looking items up on the internet. But now, when you are actually out and about in the physical store, the sheer stress of shopping has made it flee from your mind. That is no good! Your anxiety about shopping can hamper your experience and actually make shopping even more unbearable than it might have been for you.

But if you keep a list, you will know exactly what you need. You will not be able to forget anything. You will not be sidetracked by other items not on your list and riddled with indecision as you try to make a decision between two items: you get the one and your list and do not even give the other item a passing glance.

For those who get anxiety from shopping, your shopping list can be something to focus on to distract yourself from the actual task of shopping. You stay focused on the items on your list and obtaining them. There is no room or time for distractions.

Your list can be a handwritten list on a piece of paper or it can be a word document that you type up and email to yourself. It can even be a list you made on the reminder app on your phone, so you can check off each item as you obtain it.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

Only you can make sure you remain disciplined and stick to these strategies to make your shopping experiences from this point on at least a little bit easier. You may never like shopping, but hopefully, you can make it at least a little more bearable.

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