There are about 20, Tide brand, laundry detergent options at my local supermarket, as well as other brands. Laundry detergent has one job, as far as I know, and that is to clean clothes. How can we possibly need 20 options? My research ended with counting, so I still don’t know.
I have no brand loyalty and didn’t think it mattered what I chose. Apparently it does. I chose the wrong one. What I needed was the front loader/less suds option. I chose “Original” in order to avoid trying to understand the oh-so subtle distinctions.
The same goes for most things we shop for today. Too many options! What happens when we have too many options? We spend way too much time choosing, or we don’t, and make the wrong choice, or we choose not to decide. We probably waste a lot of time and money with the convenience of everything under one roof.
A client wisely suggested that he needed to find a butcher to go with his produce market in order to avoid the cookie aisle at the supermarket. Brilliant! We know that the supermarket is not filled with real, perishable food, but processed food that should mostly be avoided.
What we need are more specialty markets versus super markets. I suppose supermarkets fit with urban sprawl and so many cars.
To maintain your health while shopping in the supermarket:
• Shop with a list and avoid impulse buys you’ll regret eating later.
• Try not to shop when you’re hungry or emotionally distressed.
• Avoid the aisles that stock the foods that tempt you.
• Turn your back to candy bars at the checkout.
• Leave the family at home.
• Get in and get out.
And if you really want chips, Coke or candy just go to the gas station. (Given urban sprawl you’ll probably need to anyway.) Surprisingly, there are only a few gas options so there is room for all that food. Imagine gas options: Super fast gas, Long-lasting gas, Pollution-free gas, Speed-limited gas, Highway gas, New & Improved gas, Unscented gas, Lemon-scented gas. . .