I felt absolutely bombarded and couldn't wait to get out. ... Anyone else experienced the same thing?
Yup. I walked into the local Walmart for the first time in over a year and felt completely overwhelmed. It had recently been expanded. The store had a high warehouse like ceiling and you could see just how far back the store goes. It was (is)
huge. Big box stores are nothing new to me, but having stayed clear of the biggest of the big for over a year, I felt like a caveman walking into times square. I think the most amazing thing is that this huge store sells almost nothing of real value, it's all disposable cheaply produced crap...
(and while writing this up, FactorsOf2 posted. Glad to see I'm not the only one)
The opposite for me with regards to advertising. It's so blatant it's just hard not to laugh at it.
I feel that way about radio advertising. (Generally, ther are execptions) I just hate it. It is so blatant and annoying. I think all the local advertisers have gone the route of annoy-your-customer-into-remembering-your-brand-name.
Side track:
Since starting out on the frugal path, I've really noticed just how painfully deep the consumer mindset is entrenched in all advertising. Even when advertising for something not directly consumed. Here's a radio advert that gets a lot of play around here (and yes, I've pretty much memorized it):
Male voice: "My wife and I agree on everything, like say the best exercise:"
Male & Female in unison: "Spinning"
M: "The best place to watch a sunset"
M&F: "Punta Cana"
M: "My Mom's best recipe"
M&F: "Chinese take-out"
M: "We even agree on the best type of mortgage ..." at which point they disagree, and the ad is for a mixed variable/fixed mortgage 'so you can agree'.
Anyways, what gets me every single time I hear it are those three answers. Three wonderful free things turned into goods that have to be paid for:
Exercise: Not biking. Spinning, paying for a class on an indoor trainer.
Sunset: Not local, but a big all-inclusive vacaton hotspot
Recipe: Not home cooking, but take out.
What's it say about us when even our mortage lenders are telling us the best exercise, food, and yes, sunsets, have to be paid for?
Not surprisingly I've also heard a lot of adverts for debt consolodation and bankrupcy protection...