When at supermarket

[lemondog]

I have honestly never paid attention to what is in other people's carts. Also shocked at the people who eat weighed produce while shopping! I have let my kids drink bottles of water while shopping and have opened a box of crackers a time or two but those are easy enough to scan after the fact.

There is one thing that happened though when I was younger that I will never forget. I was in college, shopping at a neighborhood market. There was a family that bought a ton of food with food stamps. Then they bought some non-approved items...alcohol, tobacco and a few other things. The dad whips out this MASSIVE wad of cash to pay for it...I mean this thing had to be 4" thick and full of tens, twenties, etc. The family then wheeled their groceries out to this souped up Cadillac complete with all-gold trim. And here I was the poor college student trying to see how far I could honestly stretch $30. Made me sick.

 

[Michelle67]

Imzadi, are you allergic to soy? My daughter is. I feel you on what a huge hassle it is to avoid.

And about the money...no matter what you know or don't know about your customers and where their money is coming from...if you handle cash you should keep your hands away from your face and wash/sanitize them OFTEN. Money is filthy.

 

[sndfan]

Multiple times I've run into the same neighbor while I was pushing a shopping cart with 5-6 CASES of water...she just teases me now!

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

The things I am mainly judgmental about is the food itself. I often think to myself who in the world would buy that garbage. Because let's face it, there's a lot of garbage sold as food.

Not usually about their food choices but certainly about their wardrobe choices

I do that too. I'll walk around in sweats with no problem. It's less about the type of clothing people wear and more about how they wear it that makes me . The ones who wear things two sizes too small, or the ones who display their entire genitalia with their choice in bottoms, or the ones who wear see-through clothing... honestly, pretty much anything seen on people of Walmart, especially when it's not at Walmart.

Haha! I can only imagine what people think about me! My cats are VERY finicky so when their brand of food goes on sale I stock up! I have put 10 bags of dry cat food in my cart on more than one occasion!

We do that too! When our brand goes on sale, we buy every bag there is. It must look crazy.

 

[portocall]

I have been known to occasionally think that some people really need to learn how to cook when all they have in their carts are family sized frozen meals and soda.

But usually I don't notice what is in the other carts. I hate shopping so I try to make it as quick as possible, and not getting anything that isn't on the list.

 

[Imzadi]

Imzadi, are you allergic to soy? My daughter is. I feel you on what a huge hassle it is to avoid.

I have thyroid & adrenal problems in which soy interferes with the functioning of the thyroid. I was eating it from the moment I got up, (in my non-dairy coffee creamer,) to what I thought were healthy salads but topped with soybean oil loaded, bottled salad dressings, to the "healthy" butter-substitute, my multi-vitamins, to just about everything I ate.

I was about to switch to powdered milk, when I found they even put soy in the MILK to keep the powder from clumping or whatever.

I've been reading over the Celiac forums and it's amazing what soy shows up in. Of course, when they said it's in chocolate & ice cream, too, because it's a cheap way to make them creamier, I thought I was done for. I don't have chocolate a lot. But, I like to keep a bar around for those cravings now and then.

I've been soy-free for about a week now and I feel sooooo much better!

 

[hambirg]

Yeah. . .I admit it. I'm look in people's carts. I don't think I'm overly judgmental. . .I'm just nosy.

Last week I was in Grocery Outlet and a lady in front of me had nothing but large (30oz?) cans of peaches in her cart. I counted as she was taking them out and putting them on the little treadmill thing (what are those things called anyway?) Anywhoo. . .47 cans! I was trying to figure out what she was going to make with all of those peahes. Next time I was in there I just had to check how much they were. . .maybe they were giving them away. They were 2/$1. . .not bad, but 47 cans?!

 

[MIGrandma]

The only time I really notice what's in other people's carts is in the check-out line, and if they're buying a lot of crap and expensive stuff and then pay with a bridge card.

 

[powellrj]

I don't look in other peoples cart, OK, I do get a kick when I see an Amish lady with lots of junk and convenience food in her cart. I work in an Amish area and the first time I saw it I was surprised, but I still get a kick out of it when I see it!

I stock my college aged DS apartment up with quick cooking meals and convenience food every couple of months and I always hope people aren't judging me when they see a cart full of frozen pizza, hot pockets, pop tarts and stouffer's meals. I do drop of healthy food for him when I see him and when he is home we will stock up on fresh foods, but I do admit to keeping him stocked in convenience foods too.

When I get our weekly groceries, I do get lots of fresh foods and will usually get a comment from the cashier and bagger about what time is dinner.

 

[happygirl]

Nope, I just pay attention to what I'm doing and don't worry about others

 

[DisneyCher]

Sometimes.

If I see some person with a cart full of bottles of mustard and lunchmeat, andf a handful of coupons, I'll make a snide comment to my DH about the "extreme couponing freak," or if I see a really obese person buying nothing but pizza, ice cream, chips, etc. I do think about how they are certainly not doing themselves any favors. Conversely, if I see a really obese person buying healthy foods, I think good for them, they must be starting down the road to better health.

But, most of the time, I don't really give too much thought to the other people shopping, unless their carts are blocking the aisles and obstructing my way.

 

[kinntj]

I'm like others who don't like to shop, so I try to get in and get out. I only notice when there's someone ahead of me in line to check out and they are unloading their cart. I don't remember thinking negatively on what they bought.

 

[deegack]

I use to notice while waiting on line but now that we can self scan an pack while shopping I don't really notice. I will say that is the best invention ever for grocery shopping. Really cuts down time and I get to pack the way I want AND I can give my daughter a banana w/o guilt b/c I weigh the bunch before, scan them in and then give her one.

 

[kirbydog48]

I mostly look to observe, not to judge, what "average" people are eating. I am in the process of becoming a holistic health coach, and I am just amazed by the amount of processed "food" people eat and how many health issues could be avoided if people ate real food. Kind of sad actually.

 

[marcyinPA]

I don't judge at all. But I will say that looking in other people's carts at the check out sort of interests me, in a good way. I like seeing different foods and stuff. I feel like I always buy the same things, every.single.time. Seeing new and interesting foods and products is interesting!!

Sometimes though, I see people who have just a few items but they are all prepared and/or organic and the total adds up to A LOT, and I always think to myself, "wow, that's a lot of money for just a few items." Is that judging?!

 

[marcyinPA]

Well, I seem to inevitably be hungry when I shop so if I'm thinking anything about anybody else's cart it's something along the lines of "That looks good.....oh that looks good too...I didn't see those, where did she get those? i want one of those..."

That's what I was trying to say in my post, but for some reason, it just didn't come out the way I wanted it to sound! lol

 

[daughtersrus]

"What Would You Do" on ABC had an episode a few weeks ago to see how other customers would react if someone was rude to an overweight customer based on the food choices that were in her cart.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

I rarely notice other people's carts. I usually shop with all of my children and I have enough going on in my own world. LOL

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't judge, no, but if there is someone in front of me, I might see their food and think "I wonder what they are going to make with that?"

 

[Snoopymom]

There was a gorgeous guy in front of me recently with a loaf of bread from the bakery, deli lunchmeat and expensive cheese from the cheese case, a bottle of wine, probably good wine (I wouldn't know, but I know which juice boxes taste the best ) and a bag of Lays (those I did recognize )

I asked the cashier if I could leave my cart full of stuff like spaghetti sauce and tortilla shells and go home with him.