quote:

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Shopping is a two-stage process, say the researchers. In the first stage, people deliberate about a purchase, weighing cost and benefits, the degree to which they need the item, and so forth. But once the deliberation phase ends and the buying phase takes over, a subtle psychological mechanism comes into play. “People in this transition go from thinking from their mind to thinking from their cart. The cart takes over,” says Khan. “Once that happens, a roller coaster of shopping can begin.”

The purchase of an initial item creates what Khan and her associates call “shopping momentum.”

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http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/khan_shopping.html

Back when I was first separated, I of course had to do the grocery shopping for my daughters and I-- something my ex used to do.

In the early going, because financial pictures are so foggy, I tended to try to make a buck go as far as possible, but at the same time be aware of the dietary and toiletry requirements of growing women.

What I did was to make a list based on current inventory, what we used, and specific requests. Then I'd use this list to inventory the kitchen and bathroom, see what was missing or soon to be gone, and just buy that stuff.

And nothing else.

It's cut 'n'paste I ftp'd to my server. My Dad has a sub. He emailed the article to me.
How I became a Costco junkie

I used to hate the place after having went in to check it out. It has a soulless feel. The concept of paying to shop is a hard one to get the head around. It's the crack cocaine of consumerism. The CEO of where I work, who is a very unimaginative ultra capitalist, bought those of us who worked for over years, each a membership.

One night I dreamt I was at the meat isle surrounded by huge blobs of red, bloody chunks of beef. What made the dream so weird was that it came true. There I was one day last year, in real 3d life in the isle.