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The 9 Stages Of Shopping At Trader Joe's

It's a shopping experience like no other.

Kirstin Ortiz

Jul 01, 2019

Temple University

157

The 9 Stages Of Shopping At Trader Joe's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq2jSDsTnhg&t=150s

Having grown up in a very rural area, I didn't discover Trader Joe's until my freshman year of college. And even that took a while: I was so used to shopping at the overpriced, underwhelming yet convenient grocery store on campus that I ignored friends' recommendations for this organic, affordably priced haven. If you've ever shopped at a Trader Joe's, you know that it's an experience. An adventure, even. Below are the 9 stages we all go through when shopping at our beloved TJ's.

Anticipation

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It's shopping time! What new foods are you going to discover today? Maybe a new beauty product? Will that cute cashier who checked you out last week be working?

Dread

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Somehow the Saturday morning grocery rush surprises you every time. You walk in and see the line already wrapped around the store and think "Why didn't I just go during the week?"

Focus

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No use standing there, taking up valuable space in the little space this store has. Time to make your rounds and start checking off that list.

Discovery

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As always you come across some sort of intriguing new product, or maybe one you haven't seen in a while. You stand there for a while, trying to simultaneously convince yourself that you need it and that you need to stay within your budget. If you're like me and have practically no willpower, the id wins almost every time.

Confusion

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The vegan cheese was RIGHT HERE last week. Where did they move it? And why is it that you only see employees when you don't need them??

Hunger

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Looking at all that delicious food can really get to you, especially if you neglected to eat before your excursion. You should have listened to your mom when she said, "Never shop hungry".

Relief

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You check the last item off your list, and your anxiety floats away. Now it's time to squeeze your way around the store and find the end of the line.

Surprise

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When shopping at Trader Joe's there's usually no in between - you either spend more or less than you thought you were going to. If you've managed the latter congrats, you smart consumer, you!

Contentment

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You exit the store, your arms weighed down with the iconic red and brown paper bags, and mentally praise yourself for "adulting" so well. You dream about the delights that your taste buds will enjoy over the next week, and for a while you're at peace.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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The 9 Stages Of Shopping At Trader Joe's

It's a shopping experience like no other.

Anticipation

Dread

Focus

Discovery

Confusion

Hunger

Relief

Surprise

Contentment

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I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1. Watch an R-rated Scary Movie in a Movie Theater

2. Buy a Lottery Ticket

3. Vote in an Election

4. Participate in a Run (or a Walk, Realistically) for Charity

5. Go on a Road Trip

6. Start a Savings Account

7. Get a Credit Card

8. Sign up for Spotify Premium

9. Go to a Club

10. Start a Meditation Routine

11. Go to a Yoga Class

12. Treat Myself to a Dinner for One

13. Volunteer for a Charity

14. Participate in a Research Study

15. Bake Something (That Ends Up Being Edible)

16. Go Skydiving

17. Be Called for Jury Duty

18. Figure Out What I Want to Do With my Life

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1."But what would happen if we all tried to be like Santa and learned to give as only he can give: of ourselves, our talents, our love and our hearts? Maybe we could all learn Santa's beautiful lesson and maybe there would finally be peace on Earth and good will toward men."

"Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

"If you won't use your heart, who cares if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it'll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won't be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose."

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."

"Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it."

"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find a that love actually is all around."

"Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks. I guess a healthy bottom line doesn't mean much if to get it, you have to hurt the ones you depend on."

"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.'"

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

"There's room for everyone on the nice list."

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

1. Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean?

2. Who closes the bus door once the bus driver gets off?

3. Why is there a "d" in "fridge" but not in "refrigerator"?

4. If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or the soap dirty?

5. Is the "S" or the "C" silent in the word "scent"?

6. Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?

7. Would Lightning McQueen buy car insurance or life insurance?

8. Who put the alphabet in alphabetical order?

9. What color are mirrors?

10. If 2 mind readers read each other's minds whose mind are they really reading?

11. Is there a synonym for "synonym"?

12. If your shirt isn't tucked into your pants, are your pants tucked into your shirt?

13. Why is it called "quick sand" if you sink slowly in it?

14. If I try to fail, but succeed, which one did I do?

15. If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?

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