Author Topic: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas  (Read 4455 times)

Inkedup

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Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« on: January 01, 2016, 10:34:12 AM »
Although I do my best to avoid shopping malls and centers during the holidays, I had to run a few necessary errands. Since it was a few days after Christmas, I figured on avoiding crowds of people. Boy was I wrong. The suburban strip mall where my bank is located was PACKED to such an extent that whoever owns the property had hired a group of guys to direct traffic in the parking lot aisles. (At first I thought they were collecting money for a fundraiser.) Despite their efforts, some lady in a Mercedes almost backed her car into me (not once, but twice) while attempting to maneuver herself into a parking space.

What were all these people doing here? There is a grocery store at one end, but people didn't seem terribly interested in that. It seemed that the three eateries in the strip mall were doing the best business. I even saw a teenager riding a hoverboard up to the entrance of the most crowded restaurant. And everywhere I looked, people were sitting in their vehicles (mostly SUVs), bent over their phones with their motors idling.

I felt like an alien, and was never so happy to return home.

agent_clone

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2016, 03:36:15 PM »
In Australia its because it is the post Chrismas sales time (although these days often the pre-Christmas sales are better...).  Not sure on other countries.

Another Reader

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2016, 05:11:14 PM »
Everything will be better on Monday when the kids are back in school and the adults are back at work.

For milk, eggs, and produce, 8 AM is a good time to hit the supermarket.  I just ordered laundry detergent for the next 8-10 months on-line. Target had $15 off a $50 household supplies purchase coupon and the detergent was on sale. Used the Red card and saved $17 off the sale price for 5 bottles and it will appear at my door on Thursday, shipped free.  I don't need no stinkin' shopping mall...


Papa Mustache

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2016, 06:06:02 PM »
We haven't left the house for days now except for groceries and to drop off a box of goodies at Goodwill.

Our town is crowded in all the ways you described. Shopping and restaurants.

No thanks. ;)

RetiredAt63

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2016, 05:56:25 AM »
Hiding out in the house is good - but now that we have snow, my rural farming neighbourhood is all snowmobiles - buzz buzz roar, front, back, everywhere.  Just going round and round.  All those fields are perfect.  I can hardly wait for Monday.  Do I sound stressed?

We haven't left the house for days now except for groceries and to drop off a box of goodies at Goodwill.

Our town is crowded in all the ways you described. Shopping and restaurants.

No thanks. ;)

scottish

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2016, 10:48:39 AM »
A little bit.  I feel the same way at the lake on a busy weekend with all the power boats.   One good thing about high gasoline prices was that it reduced the number of kids willing to fill up their powerboats and skidoos.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2016, 11:18:48 AM »
We go through cycles with teens in our neighborhood who bring out their dirt bikes and four wheelers and roar out of the neighborhood to a nearby farm ~1/2 mile away where they ride. The seniors in the neighborhood put up with it for a while and then call the cops so the problem is "self regulating". ;)

I can't say much though - my kids have a vintage scooter and go-cart - but they don't ride very often. Not nearly as loud as the ATVs and dirt bikes.

Yeah, high fuel prices did have a nice moderating effect didn't it?

RetiredAt63

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2016, 09:15:47 AM »
Now that gas is well below $1/l, it seems they have the green light.  It's not like they are actually going anywhere, just round and round and round.  I guess the wind in the face and the speed is fun . . .
Back to topic, I went grocery shopping yesterday and the parking lot was only half full, I guess life is back to normal.  So new complaint (my, I am off topic this week), medium hamburger was more expensive than a cheap roast.  Time to change menus or dig out my parents' old hand grinder.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2016, 09:33:55 AM »
Cheap gas is going to be "fun" when it disappears. I see folks making choices based on that cheap gas lasting. If it suddenly turns into $4 a gallon the evening news will be full of people being interviewed at the pumps stating "woe is me, I can't afford to drive to work in my 15 mpg vehicle". Some people seem to operate with about two weeks of forethought.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2016, 09:44:16 AM »
Yeah, there are huge after-Christmas/New Years sales.  People are out returning/exchanging items and using their gift cards.

Personally, I try my best to avoid the shopping malls before, during, and after Christmas -- as in, all year round.

Inkedup

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2016, 10:08:34 AM »
Now that gas is well below $1/l, it seems they have the green light.  It's not like they are actually going anywhere, just round and round and round.  I guess the wind in the face and the speed is fun . . .

You're right...the cheap gas is a definite factor. The national news recently mentioned the gas prices, and the simultaneous uptick in SUV sales. Groan. What are those buyers going to do when the prices shoot up?

Tjat

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2016, 01:49:53 PM »
most of it seems to be people returning all the crap people bought them for christmas.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2016, 12:29:18 PM »
most of it seems to be people returning all the crap people bought them for christmas.

Apparently that's a thing in some families: use credit to buy a crap ton of expensive, unnecessary junk, wrap it up to have something under the tree, open the gifts on the 25th, and take the majority of it back for a refund before the credit card bill comes due.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Avoiding shopping areas before, during, and now after Christmas
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2016, 09:48:28 AM »
Oh that is fun! Look at all the stuff we can't keep. Yay...

Maybe it is all about appearances.