What Do Your Grocery Shopping Habits Say About Your Personality?

By: Jennifer Post
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
What Do Your Grocery Shopping Habits Say About Your Personality?
Image: Tassii / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Are you the kind of person who has a plan of attack, or do you just wing it? Maybe you fall somewhere in between! There is no right or wrong way to do the grocery store shopping, whether you're going to pick up just a few things or get your haul for the entire week. Maybe you started out really enthusiastic and excited about being in control at the food store and not having to ask your mom if you can have things. But eventually that excitement wears off when you realize you're also the one who has to pay for the stuff.

Keep the excitement alive, though! Did you know most grocery stores have a free tasting policy? If you want to taste something, take it to an employee and let them know and they'll open it for you right then and there so you can sample before you buy. How cool is that? If you already know exactly what you're going into the food store for and there's no straying from the list, then keep doing you because you're more organized than most, and that's probably fun for you! See? No wrong way to do the grocery store. 

But what exactly do those food store habits say about you? Take this quiz and find out!

How do you prepare to go to the grocery store?
Make a list and make sure I have all of my reusable bags
Get a general idea of what I need
Meditation and words of encouragement
I don't really.

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Do you get everything you need in one go, or do you find yourself having to go back for a few things?
I get everything at once. It's so much easier.
I sometimes have to go back.
I don't even want to go the first time; there's no way I'm forgetting something.
I end up going back almost every day.

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Do you take your own bags with you?
Every time
Most of the time, but sometimes I forget
Well, they charge a bag fee now, so I really try to.
Nah, I only use a few bags.

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When do you typically go to the store?
Every Sunday
Whenever I feel like it
I try to go early before everyone gets up.
After work

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Is there a method to your madness?
That's how I keep the madness at bay.
I have a method, just not sure it's a good one.
I do try my best.
Not even a little bit

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What section are you hitting up first?
Produce
I get all of my dry goods first.
The deli counter
The meat section

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Is there one item you always buy more of than anything else?
Fruits and vegetables
Yogurt
Definitely eggs
Probably cereal

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Do you only shop on the perimeter, or do you venture into the inside aisles?
I do 90% around the perimeter.
I just go wherever my needs take me.
It's about half and half.
Most of what I get is from the inside.

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How often do you go to the food store hungry?
Never!
I don't really think about it, actually.
All the time – I know it's not recommended.
Only if it's on purpose so I can pick something up to eat there

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When you plan the grocery store trip, do you plan out a budget?
To the penny
I know around how much I want it to be.
I do, but I always go over.
I don't budget anything. I just get what I need.

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Are you a self-checkout kind of person?
Unless I have something to return, yes
I'll go to a cashier, but I always bag.
No way
Depends how long all the lines are

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Which aisle has the most temptations for you?
The frozen aisle
Anywhere there's chocolate
I'm a sucker for potato chips.
I avoid the bread aisle.

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How long would you wait in line for lunch meat before giving up?
I don't buy lunch meats.
Probably 15 minutes, because it feels like an hour
Forever. I can't go home without lunch meat.
If I see the line is super long, I just get other stuff on my list and circle back.

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What are staples that you buy on every grocery store trip?
Eggs, greens and avocados
Milk, bread and ice cream
Peanut butter and breakfast bars
I rarely buy the same things more than once.

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What do you do if you run into someone you know at the grocery store?
Say hi and keep moving
Stop and chat for a little bit
Feel so relieved for the distraction
I probably wouldn't even notice.

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Do you pick up special treats when you go?
Not every time, but occasionally
Sometimes the bakery just gets me.
I always buy some kind of cookie or cake.
I really try not to.

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How long do you stand in front of a shelf going back and forth between two items?
Not very long. I pretty much know what I'm going to get.
I've spent an embarrassingly long time doing this.
I just grab and go, no time to think.
Too long

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What if they are out of something that's on your list?
Honestly, I get really frustrated.
It's whatever, there's always another option.
I make a note that I'll have to run back at another time and get it.
Just get something else.

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Have you ever forgotten something at the grocery store?
Nope, I'm pretty good with that.
I left a baguette at self checkout once. Didn't go back for it.
I leave my sanity there all the time.
I've left my keys there multiple times.

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How do you go about loading your bags?
Oh man, how much time do you have?
I put it in in the order it's rung up.
Cold stuff in one bag, everything else in another
I only separate out the meat so I don't cross-contaminate.

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What's your parking lot strategy?
I'll park far away if it means an easy out.
I try to get in the first few spots.
I like the lane that's right by the front door.
You gotta park by the checkout.

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Do you bring coupons with you?
Only if they're actually useful
Yes, but I forget to use them a lot.
Nope. I never remember.
I don't get a lot of coupons.

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Who do you bring with you, if anyone?
I usually go alone.
I like when my significant other joins me.
My kids love tagging along for some reason.
I'll take anyone's company at the food store.

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How often do you overspend?
About half the time
Pretty much every single time
Overspending would imply that I had a plan of how much I was going to spend. Which I don't.
I do pretty good, actually.

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If you can't find something, are you inclined to ask for help or do you just forget about it?
I'll definitely ask for assistance.
Depends on how badly I want the item
I don't have time to ask for help. That could take forever.
If someone's close by, I'll ask.

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Be honest – do you put your cart back where it belongs?
Every single time
If the weather is nice, I'll walk it up.
I make my kids do it, ya know, to teach them responsibility.
I hate to say that I don't.

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In an ideal world, how long would you spend in the grocery store in a week?
No more than two hours
I love going, so I could spend all day there.
Five minutes
It really does depend on which store I'm going to.

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How long does the food that you buy last?
All week, sometimes longer
I could go two weeks without going food shopping again.
A few days
Never as long as I want it to

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Do you have a reward or discount card for your main store?
Yep! I'm not sure what it does, though.
My store did away with those.
I have one and usually forget to scan it.
I really should get one.

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Why do you love or hate the grocery store?
I love it because it provides me with the nourishing foods that I need.
I actually don't mind the crowds and hustle and bustle.
It is way too busy all the time and food keeps getting pricier.
I love it when I'm in the mood to go, but hate it if I have to stop on the way home from work.

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