#app / second hand store . i think id have to wait until summer if i wanted to complete the 365 day pact but i literally have no spring

[faaun]

i did make a pact w myself to not buy any clothes after buying that super expensive dress for a whole year . however. having literally only 4 outfits on rotation is getting to me a little bit

[brokestminimalist]

How to Go Shopping

I actually hate shopping. Some people do it for fun, but some of us want to get in and out without spending our whole paycheck. Grocery pickup is a great tool and I'm never going to give it up, but every once in a while there's no choice but to go into a store in person. Here's how in 10 easy steps:

1. Make a list. Preferably on your phone, so you won't lose it, but paper is fine too. Make a COMPLETE list. Walk around your house, look in cabinets, check your bathroom and laundry room. Leave nothing out. If the store you're going to has an app, you can put items in your cart on the app and use that as a list. Bonus: it'll tell you roughly how much you're going to be spending.

2. Know how much money you can spend. Check your bank account, just to be sure. Make sure you have the correct payment method with you.

3. Go to the store. If you're driving your own car, I find it more convenient to park next to a buggy corral than near the front. That way, after unloading your groceries, you don't have far to go to put up your cart.

4. Go inside and grab your stuff. Aim for non-food items first, then pet food, then non-cold food, then cold food. You don't want to be putting ice cream in your cart and then wandering around for another hour. If you have large items, such as big boxes of diapers or bags of dog food, place those items near the end of the cart with the bar code facing up.

5. Check your list as you go. Don't deviate from it; this is how we make excuses and overspend. Don't stop in the middle of an aisle in everyone's way, either. Pull over to the side or find a low-traffic area.

6. Go to the check-out line. If you have more than ten items, don't get in the 10 Or Fewer Line, it's rude. Also don't hop between lines, just pick one and be done with it. You'll get through when you get through.

7. Put your items on the belt. If there is someone ahead of you, use a divider. If there is no divider, leave a generous space. Put them on the belt in an orderly fashion, do not just pile them up all willy-nilly. It'll help speed up the cashier and keep things from spilling.

8. Bag the items and put them in back in your cart as they are being scanned, at least as much as is possible. If you've got those large items placed in your buggy, barcode up, point them out to the cashier. It'll be faster for them to scan the item in the buggy than for you to struggle with getting them on the belt. If something doesn't ring up at the price you think it was supposed to, this is the point at which to open your mouth and say something about it. Do NOT wait until you have already paid, Jesus Christ what is wrong with people ANYWAY

9. Pay the cashier. Have your payment method ready before the cashier finishes scanning the items. Do not stand there staring off into space, do not be digging around in your purse. Be ready, because you knew this was where your adventure was going. Swipe your card, hand over the cash, or write the check quickly. If you are writing a check don't this is not 1965 what are you doing bring your own pen and have everything pre-filled so you can just add the total.

10. Bag and load up your groceries while the cashier processes your payment. Thank her. Load up your groceries, put your cart away, and go home.

Here are some things to Not Do At A Store:

~ Don't have a family reunion in the middle of an aisle with someone you haven't seen in 10 years while blocking anyone else from getting by

~ Don't walk through the front door and then stop to dig around in your purse or look at your list. THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU TRYING TO GET INSIDE

~ Don't make stupid jokes at the cashier about how LOL IF IT DIDN'T RING UP IT MUST BE FREE gee that was so hilarious the first 3000 times they heard it. You look like a jerk.

~ If the cashier asks to see your ID for an item, don't argue with them about it, just hand it over. No one gives a shit what you think your rights are, we all just want to get out of here and go home.

~ If you have a coupon that's expired, build a bridge and get over it.

~ Don't let your kids run amok

~ If you have a kid that's crying and doesn't stop after about 90 seconds, take them outside until they calm down. Everyone will be less stressed out, including you. Or better yet, get a sitter or do a grocery pick-up instead if at all possible.

~ If you have an item you've decided you don't want, don't randomly set it down somewhere. Hand it to the cashier and just tell her you changed your mind. It's much easier for her to put it in a restock bin than it is for a stocker to try to find it in the random spot you put it in later.

~ Don't bring a pet with you unless it's a registered service animal. Your untrained chihuahua that shits in the cart and barks at everyone who walks by is NOT a service animal.

~ Don't make messes. Don't unfold a whole stack of shirts and sling them all over a table, what are you like 4 years old?

Grocery or other shopping doesn't have to be an ordeal. Get in and get out, be courteous, and get back to the rest of your day, folks. Also, happy summer.