🛒 Why Grocery Shopping Feels Like a Game Show Lately (and I'm Losing)

 

😅 Between the price of onions, rogue carts, and dodging chatty neighbors near the bananas, grocery shopping has become less of a weekly chore and more of a psychological test. And the worst part? I still forget to buy the one item I actually came for.

🎯 The Mission: One Simple Grocery Trip

All I needed was milk. Just milk. That was the plan.
But as I walked into the store, bright fluorescent lights greeted me like I was stepping onto a game show stage. A voice in my head whispered, “Welcome to Wheel of Misfortune — let’s see how far you stray from your list today!”

Surely you will remember your own experience.

💸 Inflation, or Why Tomatoes Are Now a Luxury Item

I passed the veggies and blinked at the price tag on tomatoes.
“₹120 per kilo?!”
For a moment, I considered becoming a tomato farmer. Or starting a black market for bhindi.

I recalculated my budget mid-aisle, then made the kind of face you only make when the cashier announces the total and you smile, while silently calculating how much you’ve just blown on snacks you did not need.

🧾 The List vs. What I Actually Bought

Here’s what was on my list:

• Milk

• Eggs

• Atta

Here’s what I bought:

• Two kinds of namkeen

• A scented candle I’ll never light

• Chips that were “on sale”

• A questionable packet of frozen momos

• That same brand of chocolate I tell myself I’m quitting

It’s a miracle I didn’t come home with a yoga mat or a decorative pineapple.

🤖 Self-Checkout or Stress-Checkout?

Now let’s talk about the self-checkout kiosk.
It scanned everything except the barcode on the one thing I was trying to get over with quickly. The machine blinked like it was judging me.

“Unexpected item in the bagging area.”
No kidding, I’m the unexpected item.

I eventually gave up and switched to a regular cashier, who gave me a knowing smile that said, “Happens to the best of us.”

😶‍🌫️ The Social Side Quest: Avoiding People

You know that moment when you spot someone from school or your building — and you’re in your least flattering T-shirt, holding four packets of instant noodles?
Yeah. That happened.
I tried to hide behind the cold storage. I think they saw me. We’re both pretending we didn’t.

🛏️ Home, But at What Cost?

I got home, flopped on the couch, and realized…
I forgot the milk.

Again.

📌 Call to Action:

Does grocery shopping feel like a sport to you too? What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve bought instead of what you actually needed? Share your “aisle of shame” moments in the comments — let’s form a support group.