Grocery Shopping

I am not a fan of grocery shopping as a rule. Actually, I'm not a fan of chores. Sometimes I don't want to be a grown-up. I don't want to do the things that I'm supposed to do. I want to do what I want to do. Yes, I want to be a child and taken care of again.

Well, maybe not that far back, but I don't always like to be a grown-up either.

But lately, going to the grocery store has been less onerous. First, I found a grocery store that has fresh bagels, rather than having to buy the bags of preservative-filled ones. Second, the grocery store has fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies that rock! Big chunks of chocolate. A little soft, so that they are not hard even a few days later (of course, when stored in a plastic bag). Third, they have all my favorite brands.

But ultimately, what I really like about this particular grocery store is the self-checkout aisles. And here's why.

First, I hate the way the checkers usually pack my groceries. They almost always put all the heavy things in one bag. Making it virtually impossible to carry. And making it virtually impossible to balance the two bags when I carry them to the car. Second, I hate having to wait in long lines when I don't buy that much. I appreciate the challenge of shopping for a family, but since I'm shopping for a single person, I don't want to have to wait behind someone with a completely full cart. It's faster to use the self-checkout since I usually have more than the express lanes will let me go through with, but less than a full cart. Third, I still get to use my own bags, Fourth, while I know that the store gods still know what I bought - especially because I use my grocery card - the checker doesn't. I don't buy much that's embarrassing - perhaps some feminine products or the like - but I do prefer not to advertise what I buy. Fifth, I much prefer their checkout system over the one at their rival chain. The other chain doesn't let you pack as you go - instead all the groceries go down the aisle and then you have to pack up quickly as the next person starts checking out. It's not a nice system at all.

So as much as I'm not a fan of grocery shopping, at least with the self-checkout, it's more tolerable. Glad someone thought of it!