For quite a few years now, among all of the other gadgets I have on my person at all times (iPod, cellphone, Game Boy…I’m a veritable cornucopia of EMF), I’ve carried a PDA. It’s a Palm Zire 72 now, but originally I bought a Handspring Visor back in 1999 or 2000 or so, mainly for it’s potential to be a fun toy, and then discovered a little app called MyCheckbook that has been an absolute godsend. Of course, I have a buttload of games and whatnot on it, too, but MyCheckbook has basically justified the expense.
Anyhow, one of the other actual practical applications I use it for is to keep shopping lists. (I hate writing; my handwriting sucks (part of the reason I’m such a computer geek) and anytime I can have something do the writing for me, even if it takes slightly more effort on my part than just writing, I’m down with that.) When I think of something I need to get at the store, I just whip it out and add it to the appropriate list, and when I’m actually going through the store I can check items off as I get them. It’s really really handy and it’s kinda fun in a geek way to wander through the store plucking things off with the stylus. And I never forget that I need butter. Unless I don’t add it to the list.
Anyhow, last night I needed to charge it, so I put it on the charger and went to bed. Long story short, I forgot to return it to my messenger bag this morning, and I need to make a grocery run this afternoon, ‘cuz I’m outta milk.
So this morning, I had to recreate the shopping list by hand. And I realized that this is probably the first time in six or seven years that I have actually made a physical grocery list. It was weird. What is this “paper” you speak of?
Wow…Chris is using paper! Is there going to be some sort of rip in the space time continuum? :D
Umm… you make a physical (or digital) list? I normally just wander around in the store for an hour and read the signs of what’s on the aisle, which is enough to jog my memory.
On a side note, the best time to go grocery shopping is at 3am. There are no other people around to get in your way or on your nerves. You’re always first in line for checkout too. So long as you don’t mind dodging the occasional stock clerk or stack of boxes, it’s pretty much hard to beat.
I used to shop late when I lived in Bellevue, since there was an Albertsons right across the street. I agree, it works very well.
The problem with wandering aimlessly, for me, is twofold: one, I tend to buy more extraneous crap that way, and two, I invariably forget something I DO need, and have to go back later…and buy still more extraneous crap. :)