Re: AS Shopping WAS: Abolishing Corporations

[Guest guest]

Just about an hour and a half from here are a lot of outlet stores for big name companies. Once or twice per year we will go there and buy some things. I've gotten good shoes, boots and so on for anywhere from a third to half off. They also have other deals. The toy store outlet had a deal something like if you bought two items whose price ended in a 6 then you got half off the lower priced item. Between the last two visits I got two Godzillas (more recent incarnations but you can clearly see his evolution into a scarier monster) and a couple of dragons to go with the knights that I got from another place. I made this nice little diorama where the knights are attacking this small dragon about their own size, but the other big dragon is coming up behind them.

This last trip I also made a couple of "AS" purchases. The first were three glasses from a high end outlet. Two of them were this very pretty and relaxing light blue and the third is a smoky gray color that balances the blue. They are sitting on the bookshelf over my computer. I had wanted to put them in the window, but the color is too light to carry into the room. The other I found at a Pepperridge farm outlet. It is a teddy bear from Godiva chocolates that has the softest fur you can imagine. Petting it worked well for the skin sensory issues because it seemed to focus all of that attention into the sensation. I also found a black bear animal at another places that was much the same, so I took that one too.

The rest of the times, I will bargain hunt sometimes, but mostly it is a matter of knowing what I want and how my budget stands for the month. Very rarely do I "impulse" buy. What I mentioned above were exceptions and now and then I will find something that I had been sort of looking for but never found until that point. An example of that would be the other day when I was in the hardware store when I found a particular tool I had been looking for a long time, but had never actually seen one, so I bought one. Now I just have to get around to reorganizing my tool closet again and hunting down some that have gone missing. Tools never seem to stay where they are supposed to.

One thing I don't get is how lots of people seem to enjoy the typical shopping experience. They actually like examining all the different things, fighting the crowds and all that rest. Me, I walk into a shoe store I and I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I mean, how many different way can you build a walking shoe? To walk into an aisle with scores of different kinds and its just too much, particularly so many of them are so ugly and pretenses. After going through Nike and a couple of the other outlets which had big fancy stores, I went into a Converse store which was much simpler and found a really nice set of shoes. Later, I went into the Wolverine store and found a good pair of hiking boots that are probably the best pair I have ever owned. Actually, I wear them in preference to the shoes because they fit so well.

But back to my point. I usually know what I am looking for, at least in general terms. I go in, find it and get out. I just don't see why shopping would be this major enterprise. A cousin of mine once spent hours in a "country store" of a kind that my mother and I visited the last time we were near one. It had a lot of stuff, but it only took us about 20 minutes to go through it.

[Guest guest]

I seldom if ever impulse buy. Sometimes, it may appear that I do to

others, but such is not the case. I keep a sort of mental shopping

list in my head. There is stuff on the high priority list, and stuff

on the low priority list, but none of it must be bought immediately.

If I happen to see what I am looking for at clearance prices, even

though I may not use whatever it is for three months, I buy it

immediately.

The only time I shopped extensively was when I bought my

hiking/safari vest and backpack (see picture in Photo section).

With the vest I wanted something that wasn't one of these shopping

mall safari outfits. Something someone would actually wear in the

savanah or out country. I searched the net and found what I wanted,

but I was not willing to pay what they were asking. I then seached

all the big sport stores.

Nothing.

Finally, I went to a mom and pop store and got just what I was

looking for at just the right price.

The backpack I bought was just the right size, with all the pockets

I wanted, exactly the correct style...but I had to wait until after

Christmas to buy it, and then, not only was it marked down for

clearance, but I had a coupon for 25% off whatever I purchased that

day.

As for anything else, I know what I like, so I go in, get it, and

get out.

If I have to buy something that I am not familiar with, I do the

research online first and then go get it.

Tom

Administrator

" One thing I don't get is how lots of people seem to enjoy the

typical shopping experience. They actually like examining all the

different things, fighting the crowds and all that rest. Me, I walk

into a shoe store I and I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I mean,

how many different way can you build a walking shoe? To walk into an

aisle with scores of different kinds and its just too much,

particularly so many of them are so ugly and pretenses. After going

through Nike and a couple of the other outlets which had big fancy

stores, I went into a Converse store which was much simpler and

found a really nice set of shoes. Later, I went into the Wolverine

store and found a good pair of hiking boots that are probably the

best pair I have ever owned. Actually, I wear them in preference to

the shoes because they fit so well.

" But back to my point. I usually know what I am looking for, at

least in general terms. I go in, find it and get out. I just don't

see why shopping would be this major enterprise. "

[Guest guest]

I seldom if ever impulse buy. Sometimes, it may appear that I do to

others, but such is not the case. I keep a sort of mental shopping

list in my head. There is stuff on the high priority list, and stuff

on the low priority list, but none of it must be bought immediately.

If I happen to see what I am looking for at clearance prices, even

though I may not use whatever it is for three months, I buy it

immediately.

The only time I shopped extensively was when I bought my

hiking/safari vest and backpack (see picture in Photo section).

With the vest I wanted something that wasn't one of these shopping

mall safari outfits. Something someone would actually wear in the

savanah or out country. I searched the net and found what I wanted,

but I was not willing to pay what they were asking. I then seached

all the big sport stores.

Nothing.

Finally, I went to a mom and pop store and got just what I was

looking for at just the right price.

The backpack I bought was just the right size, with all the pockets

I wanted, exactly the correct style...but I had to wait until after

Christmas to buy it, and then, not only was it marked down for

clearance, but I had a coupon for 25% off whatever I purchased that

day.

As for anything else, I know what I like, so I go in, get it, and

get out.

If I have to buy something that I am not familiar with, I do the

research online first and then go get it.

Tom

Administrator

" One thing I don't get is how lots of people seem to enjoy the

typical shopping experience. They actually like examining all the

different things, fighting the crowds and all that rest. Me, I walk

into a shoe store I and I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I mean,

how many different way can you build a walking shoe? To walk into an

aisle with scores of different kinds and its just too much,

particularly so many of them are so ugly and pretenses. After going

through Nike and a couple of the other outlets which had big fancy

stores, I went into a Converse store which was much simpler and

found a really nice set of shoes. Later, I went into the Wolverine

store and found a good pair of hiking boots that are probably the

best pair I have ever owned. Actually, I wear them in preference to

the shoes because they fit so well.

" But back to my point. I usually know what I am looking for, at

least in general terms. I go in, find it and get out. I just don't

see why shopping would be this major enterprise. "

[Guest guest]

My mother and alot of women I knew from childhood would go shopping. They'd spend 6 or more hours sometimes and feel exhilerated after looking at 10 different types of pillows. I was just about ready to keel over. It's different though when I go shopping. I usually go to a type of grocery store. I'll go to the natural foods place, Vietnamese market, Korean market. They are very fascinating to me. I just walk around in there and get totally lost in all of the different brands of tea, herbs, tofu, frozen stuff, just about everything. I'll walk in there without a list and just walk down every isle about twice just looking at all the stuff. It would be kind of sad for alot of Nt's but, that's pretty much been my version of having a social life, mutual feelings of awe and astonishment at all the choices. Sometimes I'll even have small talk with a cashier clerk. That's really enough for me as far as social niceties go and it's convenient for that purpose. I just went to the

store today and have found a pattern. Alot of the stuff that they put on the lowest shelves is stuff that is less expensive and a better deal but, can be returned to the manufacturer or someone else who can reuse it in another product by any number of preservation or recycling methods. They had incense imported from Himalayan traders that I bought. There was also Safflower Oil hidden behind the spaghetti sauce featured on sale. It was around 5 dollars for 32 ounces whereas the others were nearly 9 dollars. It's also good to know what's on sale. Potatoes, carrots, yams, squash, onions, pumpkin, nuts & seeds, etc.... It's also cheaper to have a bread maker and a juicer not only because they taste fresher. Alot of the organic bread flour is dirt cheap. The same goes with carrots. 25 pound bags for 15 dollars is a really good deal for someone who owns a juicer. Oh, pomegranates are on sale also. Everyone should have a pomegranate atleast once.

VISIGOTH@... wrote: Just about an hour and a half from here are a lot of outlet stores for big name companies. Once or twice per year we will go there and buy some things. I've gotten good shoes, boots and so on for anywhere from a third to half off. They also have other deals. The toy store outlet had a deal something like if you bought two items whose price ended in a 6 then you got half off the lower priced item. Between the last two visits I got two Godzillas

(more recent incarnations but you can clearly see his evolution into a scarier monster) and a couple of dragons to go with the knights that I got from another place. I made this nice little diorama where the knights are attacking this small dragon about their own size, but the other big dragon is coming up behind them. This last trip I also made a couple of "AS" purchases. The first were three glasses from a high end outlet. Two of them were this very pretty and relaxing light blue and the third is a smoky gray color that balances the blue. They are sitting on the bookshelf over my computer. I had wanted to put them in the window, but the color is too light to carry into the room. The other I found at a Pepperridge farm outlet. It is a teddy bear from Godiva chocolates that has the softest fur you can imagine. Petting it worked well for the skin sensory issues because it seemed to focus all of that attention into the sensation. I also found

a black bear animal at another places that was much the same, so I took that one too. The rest of the times, I will bargain hunt sometimes, but mostly it is a matter of knowing what I want and how my budget stands for the month. Very rarely do I "impulse" buy. What I mentioned above were exceptions and now and then I will find something that I had been sort of looking for but never found until that point. An example of that would be the other day when I was in the hardware store when I found a particular tool I had been looking for a long time, but had never actually seen one, so I bought one. Now I just have to get around to reorganizing my tool closet again and hunting down some that have gone missing. Tools never seem to stay where they are supposed to. One thing I don't get is how lots of people seem to enjoy the typical shopping experience. They actually like examining all the different things, fighting

the crowds and all that rest. Me, I walk into a shoe store I and I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I mean, how many different way can you build a walking shoe? To walk into an aisle with scores of different kinds and its just too much, particularly so many of them are so ugly and pretenses. After going through Nike and a couple of the other outlets which had big fancy stores, I went into a Converse store which was much simpler and found a really nice set of shoes. Later, I went into the Wolverine store and found a good pair of hiking boots that are probably the best pair I have ever owned. Actually, I wear them in preference to the shoes because they fit so well. But back to my point. I usually know what I am looking for, at least in general terms. I go in, find it and get out. I just don't see why shopping would be this major enterprise. A cousin of mine once spent hours in a "country store" of a kind that my mother and I visited the

last time we were near one. It had a lot of stuff, but it only took us about 20 minutes to go through it.

Get your email and see which of your friends are online - Right on the new .com

[Guest guest]

Hello! I hated shopping with my mother and the hours that she would spend

looking for

just the right ribbon, etc to sew for my sister's and her dresses . . . it

seemed a waste.

Later, as a VISTA in the seventies - I got to go to the Hunts Point Market that

serves all the

retailers in New York and Long Warf, in New Haven where I shopped at 4 am for

vegetables, fish and assundries for the ghetto store front food co-op that I

rean . . . I

loved the liveliness of the huge markets - in the dark, knowing they were

supplying all the

food to the states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut - all the day light

displays

were being supplied from the darkness of these markets

In Montreal - becoming friends with AFghan refugees - one of my delights was to

go

through the Arab, Vietnamese, Italian and farming stalls of the Talon

market. I

learned that in the bustle and craziness of the huge Arab markets I could score

a whole

shopping cart full of carrots, lettuces, cukes, sweet potatoes and other things

that I used

for fresh vegetable juicing for under 15 dollars - my Aspie/scottish thriftiness

has a heart

attack when the same amount of veggies and fruit cost 60 dollars and more in the

regular

markets - it is hard to afford to be healthy! However I now live an hour

outside of

Montreal and don't drive over bridges and with the erratic driving patterns of

the people

here - considered the worst in North America - however in the summer I do grow

my own.

And yes - even in Connecticut I had found the Indian markets and the great deals

on

chutneys, curries, soap - there is an aryavedic herbal soap that is really

wonderful, usually

expensive at the health food stores but cheap in the Indian markets - In

montreal I loved

the accesibility, versus Manhattan, of the neighborhood stores and being able to

sample

foods and things from the over 57 registered language groups and cultures.

and there is a street in Montreal where the arab dealers have things . . .I

shoped their

fabric shops for years - better deals than anywhere . . but in their upper

levels where their

bargains are - I would get beautiful Ralph patterned denim - fabulous for

table

cloths, curtains, pot holders, making cloth shopping bags, etc - and all

washable and

durable as well as colorful - for $2.00 Canadian a yard . . I decorated my whole

twenty

room medical clinic in cushion covers, curtains and other things that I found

from that

street. I refuse to pay rediculous prices - but I like to design comfortable

environments

for patients because they are in pain, in need and the tension that most

environments

offer is just not necessary.

I have loved watching the posts here because for years people were always amazed

at my

brother's, my cousins' and my " thriftyness " - the ability to find a bargain or

turn a cast off

into something that people wanted . . . seeing what people are sharing here

helps me to

understand that it is an Aspie trait . . . .

Thanks!

Deborah

Just about an hour and a half from here are a

lot of outlet

stores for big name companies. Once or twice per year we will go there and buy

some

things. I've gotten good shoes, boots and so on for anywhere from a third to

half off. They

also have other deals. The toy store outlet had a deal something like if you

bought two

items whose price ended in a 6 then you got half off the lower priced item.

Between the

last two visits I got two Godzillas (more recent incarnations but you can

clearly see his

evolution into a scarier monster) and a couple of dragons to go with the knights

that I got

from another place. I made this nice little diorama where the knights are

attacking this

small dragon about their own size, but the other big dragon is coming up behind

them.

>

> This last trip I also made a couple of " AS " purchases. The first were three

glasses from

a high end outlet. Two of them were this very pretty and relaxing light blue and

the third

is a smoky gray color that balances the blue. They are sitting on the bookshelf

over my

computer. I had wanted to put them in the window, but the color is too light to

carry into

the room. The other I found at a Pepperridge farm outlet. It is a teddy bear

from Godiva

chocolates that has the softest fur you can imagine. Petting it worked well for

the skin

sensory issues because it seemed to focus all of that attention into the

sensation. I also

found a black bear animal at another places that was much the same, so I took

that one

too.

>

> The rest of the times, I will bargain hunt sometimes, but mostly it is a

matter of

knowing what I want and how my budget stands for the month. Very rarely do I

" impulse "

buy. What I mentioned above were exceptions and now and then I will find

something that

I had been sort of looking for but never found until that point. An example of

that would

be the other day when I was in the hardware store when I found a particular tool

I had

been looking for a long time, but had never actually seen one, so I bought one.

Now I just

have to get around to reorganizing my tool closet again and hunting down some

that have

gone missing. Tools never seem to stay where they are supposed to.

>

> One thing I don't get is how lots of people seem to enjoy the typical

shopping

experience. They actually like examining all the different things, fighting the

crowds and

all that rest. Me, I walk into a shoe store I and I am overwhelmed by all the

choices. I

mean, how many different way can you build a walking shoe? To walk into an aisle

with

scores of different kinds and its just too much, particularly so many of them

are so ugly

and pretenses. After going through Nike and a couple of the other outlets which

had big

fancy stores, I went into a Converse store which was much simpler and found a

really nice

set of shoes. Later, I went into the Wolverine store and found a good pair of

hiking boots

that are probably the best pair I have ever owned. Actually, I wear them in

preference to

the shoes because they fit so well.

>

> But back to my point. I usually know what I am looking for, at least in

general terms. I

go in, find it and get out. I just don't see why shopping would be this major

enterprise. A

cousin of mine once spent hours in a " country store " of a kind that my mother

and I visited

the last time we were near one. It had a lot of stuff, but it only took us about

20 minutes

to go through it.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Get your email and see which of your friends are online - Right on the new

.com

>

[Guest guest]

" I have loved watching the posts here because for years people were

always amazed at my brother's, my cousins' and my " thriftyness " - the

ability to find a bargain or turn a cast off into something that

people wanted . . . seeing what people are sharing here helps me to

understand that it is an Aspie trait . . . . "

Part of it is AS thriftiness. But part of it is simply looking to

satisfy a particular need.

I shop used book stores for example, and many of the books that are

truly interesting are the ones that the main stores do not carry

because they are not popular. Also, lots of the books I have purchased

are ones published in other countries that are not available here, but

have somehow migrated to the US in people's priovate collections. I

have two books that were published in South Africa, for example, and

that were not sold in the US.

I also like to take things and turn them into things I can use. I took

a strip of wood from a temporary " No Parking on Thursday! Snow

Plowing " sign and a peice of scrap lumber and made a crucifix out if

it. I shaded both peices with the same stain, but they turned out

different colors because one piece was red oak and the other was

opine. The effect is beautiful, and you never could buy such a thing

in the stores.

Aspies have a creative streak in them, I believe, and sometimes this

creativity is expressed through making things from other things, are

making new things from used things.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

Hello!

My grandfather was Aspie and Christian. Although he came from a wealthy family

he

believed wealth was something that one was given by God to help others with. He

did not

have to work but went to law school and worked to help people in need.

the house he built was plain and simple - all solid furniture. I remember it as

fun and

there was never things we were warned not to break - I think that I mentioned

elsewhere

that my cousins, brother and I literally had an indoor track through the house

that we

started running on from the time we could toddle - which kept our energies

flowing in a

sort of contained chaos.

I never knew, until after he had died, that my Grandfather had been wealthy. It

wasn't that

he was stingy, it was simply that he and my grandmother were so happy in life

with simple

things. The dining room table was always set for who ever dropped by and there

was

always food cooking in the kitchen - apples and plums on the trees in the summer

and a

huge garden . . .the basement of the house had storerooms in it - that was what

always

impressed me. My grandfather shopped the sales in the twenties and thirties and

forties -

if the A & P had canned peas for 3 cents off a can - equivalent to fifty cents

now - then he

would buy three cases and put them in the store room. He looked at it as a way

to be able

to give more to those in need.

My brother and I have always shopped like that - as do many of my cousins. If

dolphin

safe tuna is twenty cents off the storebrand - I buy several hundred cans. I

have always

saved money and kept it in reserve for these things. If the staples that I use,

like Olive Oil

are availibe for 18 or 19 a gallon (canadian dollars) down from 27 - I buy six .

.. soap, etc

the same way. My house is stocked with staples and I only buy my fresh things

once every

two weeks to save on gas and so I don't have to go out of the house via car . .

..

I agree re we get certain things . . . because we want them . . . I have an

expensive foot

massager - professional - and I paid alot for it but it has lasted me ten years

so far and

been very relaxing for me. I try to buy the good walking style tie shoes that I

need for my

feet - which are deformed - on sale - the last time I bought three pairs and

they have

lasted me this last two years, always allowing me to have one for " good " -

church and the

doctor's visits, etc

and I like to search through second hand book shops to find treasures. I also

read the

reviews online . . . I watch sales at the renovation stores and put in a number

of floors,

backsplashes, etc in my work and home spaces with things that I bought on sale,

knowing

that I would eventually instal them - saving huge amounts of money. And if one

has a few

tools - doing one's own tiling really saves huge amounts of money.

I have tried to teach these things to people starting out and others trying to

overcome

their credit habits - but not many people want to listen .

I only use my credit cards when I know that I can pay them off - I have an

American one

and a Canadian one . . it is easier to detail things for business and I don't

have to carry

cash for gas, etc.

so it is very nice to see that others also are wise users of credit and

shopping.

Thanks!

Deborah

>

> " I have loved watching the posts here because for years people were

> always amazed at my brother's, my cousins' and my " thriftyness " - the

> ability to find a bargain or turn a cast off into something that

> people wanted . . . seeing what people are sharing here helps me to

> understand that it is an Aspie trait . . . . "

>

> Part of it is AS thriftiness. But part of it is simply looking to

> satisfy a particular need.

>

> I shop used book stores for example, and many of the books that are

> truly interesting are the ones that the main stores do not carry

> because they are not popular. Also, lots of the books I have purchased

> are ones published in other countries that are not available here, but

> have somehow migrated to the US in people's priovate collections. I

> have two books that were published in South Africa, for example, and

> that were not sold in the US.

>

> I also like to take things and turn them into things I can use. I took

> a strip of wood from a temporary " No Parking on Thursday! Snow

> Plowing " sign and a peice of scrap lumber and made a crucifix out if

> it. I shaded both peices with the same stain, but they turned out

> different colors because one piece was red oak and the other was

> opine. The effect is beautiful, and you never could buy such a thing

> in the stores.

>

> Aspies have a creative streak in them, I believe, and sometimes this

> creativity is expressed through making things from other things, are

> making new things from used things.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

[Guest guest]

" I have tried to teach these things to people starting out and others

trying to overcome their credit habits - but not many people want to

listen . "

I believe that it is a simple lack of patience and/or discipline that

cause people to be this way. Or else their impulsive spending urges

are something they have not been able to control yet.

Aspies by nature are cautious, so I think we may be better able to

control our spending and/or look for deals on things.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

" I have tried to teach these things to people starting out and others

trying to overcome their credit habits - but not many people want to

listen . "

I believe that it is a simple lack of patience and/or discipline that

cause people to be this way. Or else their impulsive spending urges

are something they have not been able to control yet.

Aspies by nature are cautious, so I think we may be better able to

control our spending and/or look for deals on things.

Tom

Administrator