I hate shopping sometimes

Even sometimes after 4-5 re-dos of making a list - I STILL get disoriented at the store. It's so hard to choose which particular thing I need. I felt so stupid yesterday standing in the Halloween candy aisle, I was there for nearly an hour trying choose which candy to get for the trick or treaters, and trying to figure out how many bags I might need. There must have been atleast 20 people that passed through while I was there. And then, when it takes too long, there is the added stress of what if the employees wrongly think I'm shoplifting. I got bag of lollipops and a bag of hersheys. I'm still a little stressed out that might not be enough - but as much as I want to have enough for everyone, I equally don't want to have too much leftover.

Wow is this ocd related? Hah, i never knew, I do this every shop. I have to figure out whats best value for money and that can take some time. Although Im not sure if that is ocd or being poor haha

I do it too. I thought I had financial OCD but super nova here,was kind enough to tell me that it,was normal. I feel better that I'm not the only one who checks their finances repeatedly multiple times a day.

I carefully compare prices but that is because I am very stingy and like value for money. We got two bowls of small chocolate thingies but I look so forbidding that the little witches and wizards scarpered without taking any. We put the stuff in the freezer for next year or indeed the rest of the twenty-tens if all goes right.

Sometimes it is money. But sometimes the difference is a quarter. Not often, but there's times I'll drop a quarter and be too lazy to pick it up. So a quarter is no big deal but I still factor it in to the ridiculously complicated decision making process.

I just feel sometimes when I'm shopping I have to scrutinize things - compare one thing to the other - often really for no good reason at all. I sort of lose myself. Easter was a good example:

I go to the store to buy an Easter bunny for my son. I was SO excited to do this. I had an idea in my head before I got to the store of what I wanted to buy because I caught a few glimpses of the options a couple of previous times that I went to that particular store.

There's a large selection. Within 1 minute, I know exactly the one I want to get. But then I wonder for about 1 minute: I like it but would he?

5 minutes: I want this one, but maybe this identical one is constructed better in some way. Compare and contrast stitches and flaws of same style bunnies.

15 minutes: I figure maybe I should look at the other options. So I build a mental list of all the different styles of bunnies and how many there are of each.

5 minutes: I have found 3 bunnies that are acceptable, I need to get rid of two so I compare and contrast.

I've been in this section too long, I probably look insane so I put the three bunnies down, I walk away and for 10 minutes I pretend to look at other things in the store (as I think about those three bunnies) Then I meander back to the bunny section, pick up the three bunnies, then find another bunny that I hadn't seen before.

For 10ish minutes I dwell on the four bunnies, eliminating one, then another, then another. I'm left with one but I'm not sure if it's a good choice, continually I compare and contrast. I make decisions but can't hold to them.

Once again, I have been in this section way too long. I look nuts and I can't think straight. For another 7ish minutes I wander the store but I'm extremely eager to get back to bunny section.

This last part takes about 5 minutes:
I'm back. I'm tired. I'm mad. I grab the first bunny and head for the check out. Before I even get to the check out I forget if this bunny is the one of it's style with the least amount of superficial flaws, I go back and compare quickly, get the winning bunny and go to the check out completely embarrassed, pay, and go home.

IN TOTAL: I have spent about 59 minutes selecting a 5 dollar bunny rabbit. I could have spent 1 minute because I ended up getting the first one I chose. However, I know how I am: if I would have gotten the first bunny after the first minute, I would have spent at least an hour agonizing over the decision - just in the comfort of my home instead of at the store.

^This is a very general look. The timing is pretty accurate. I'm not going to go back and add it in to the above scenario, but I neglected to mention the comparisons of price, of size, of colors, the idea of not getting a bunny at all, but instead getting an adorable sheep or duckling (and what size/color/price should I pay for a sheep or a duckling)

This sounds so familiar to me and it drives me crazy, too! It's like, I know that what I am doing is completely irrational. Luckily its not with everything that I buy, just some things. Especially flowers and plants. I evaluate them over and over and over... You're definitely not alone.

I ordered my holiday shopping online already. I only buy gifts for the kids in my family, but I got a few things. It was still a lot of compare/contrast. The decision making a bit more time consuming because there was no social anxiety aspect so I sort of allowed myself to dwell more, like it felt safer to be alone and be able to dwell on it. All in all, still a bit stressful but I'm really glad to be done with it.

Flower selection is definitely another area I have issues with this as well. I enjoy planting flowers and gifting them. For anyone, I think it would be a bit natural to be a bit choose-y with plants - you have to care for it, its enjoyable to see it displayed - so getting the best one available from the start makes sense. Its just really hard when the brain tells you to scrutinize to the ultimate level.

The grocery store is a draining experience. What foods can I make? What will my family eat? What is healthy that I can make and my family will eat? What is kosher, gluten free, lactose free (actual concerns)? What is the better buy? Checking portion size against price- doing math! Who will I run into in the store and how can I act like I am not as down as I feel? Did I remember my cloth bags so I don't have to get the plastic bags?

This may not be OCD, but probably neurotic. Don't even get me started on department stores...

OCD Traits:
I can't stop typing what I hear, air typing ever since I learned how to type at 7 years old.
and more, but I have to go shopping now :-)