Shopping Sniper

I've told people before that I don't mind shopping. I've said with the utmost sincerety in my eyes that I don't at all mind wandering aimlessly examining articles that I will never buy with care. It's a lie.

I think I've told this little lie mostly to girls, with two goals in mind. 1) To garner favor and 2) to gain a potential shopping partner.

Even with respect to goal #1, I find myself tiring by the third store. I am impatient; I cannot stand to look at every item in the store in search of a deal. I am more impatient than I am frugal - these days I will buy something that I see that meets my criteria even if it's a little more expensive than I would like, if I really need it. If I don't, I give up and go home.

With respect to #2, I like shopping for myself only marginally better than accompanying another shopper. But I do like to get a second opinion on things. Therefore, I like having a shopping partner. Selfish? Yes. But with my entire purpose in shopping focused on finding the item(s) I need as quickly and as inexpensively as possible and going home so I can lay half-naked on the couch licking the potato chip crumbs off my bare chest whilst watching bad TV, I don't think it's nearly as painful for my shopping partner as it is for me when I am the partner.

This brings to mind the Christmas holiday, which just passed, and the pain that is holiday shopping. Holiday shopping is even more painful than normal shopping because you a) don't have time to really look for deals b) you have a deadline to make your purchases c) everyone else is out shopping and d) you don't have time to think about what you are buying, so you usually just end up getting junk. I also end up paying more sometimes just to get it all over with, rather than looking for a deal... but I figure why spend an extra hour to save $5?

To all that love shopping, Lord help you.