My mums weird obsession and fierce loyalty to her favourite shop!!

[BossyPaws]

My mum has always had this weird fascination with whatever her favourite shop is at the time. So first one was Netto ...

Conversations would be like:

"Oh that sounds nice, did you get it in netto?"
Me: no, Tesco
"Oh, I don't like Tesco, I don't know why you won't shop in netto, don't you like it there?"
Me: "I've just never been in"
"Why? Why won't you try it? It's not all cheap stuff you know! I don't know why you don't try it!"

then she discovered Morrisons

"Have you ever bought these from Morrisons? They're lovely!"
Me: "no"
"Why? What's wrong with Morrisons?? Why won't you try it?"
Me: "there isn't one near me"
"Well we'll pick you up and take you!"
"No point, I have Tesco on the doorstep"
"Oh Tesco! I would never shop there, hate it, can't stand it, even if it was next door I wouldn't shop there! Morrisons is brilliant, shall we take you at weekend?"

Now it's Aldi ... constantly going on and on about Aldi, questioning everyone why they don't shop there, questioning other people's shopping decisions, insisting on trying Aldi produce, banging on and on about Aldi in every conversation :

Me: "I did that 5k race at weekend!"
Mum: "oh we went shopping, took your aunty Brenda but she won't go in Aldi, I don't know why, I told her ... " this went on for about 20 minutes.

A couple of days later
"Guess what! We went into town and Brenda and guess where she shopped?! Aldi!! Ha! I told her it was good stuff and she wouldn't have it! I said to her "I thought you didn't shop at Aldi!" Just goes to show doesn't it!!"

Ffs who cares!

She's also obsessed with other people showing loyalty to a certain shop -

"Did you get them in Tesco? Because that's where you shop isn't it? Do you like Tesco? You must do you always seem to be in there!"

Then I switched to ASDA and my god you would've thought I'd switched religion

"Asda??? You went to ASDA??? How come? Why not Tesco?? Have you fallen out with Tesco now? So do you only shop at Asda now?"

It's so frustrating because every fucking conversation is dominated by it. If I'm talking to her I can't mention that I popped into Morrisons/coop/Tesco (god forbid Tesco) as the conversation will change entirely to shops and where everyone she knows shops. I'm actually avoiding talking to her because of these frustrating obsessions.

My aunt said recently that she has always thought my mum was autistic but never diagnosed because of the times they grew up up - could she have a point?

It's frustrating but also mind boggling how obsessed she is about such menial things

My mum is like this and I’ve often thought she may be on the spectrum, she’ll drone on about her colleagues mundane lives, not just to me but to anyone who’ll listen, especially poor shop workers. I really feel sorry for her colleagues as it must be so draining to listen to day in and day out.

She also gets really easily offended by little things and it’s only when I left home I realised how silly she was being, it’s always someone looked at her the wrong way or invited her to a meal after work but didn’t sound sincere enough when they asked her or made a little comment in jest and she takes it to heart.

I can't stand Aldi bores. Yeah, it's aldi, it's ok for some things. It would be better without the central corral of plastic shite.

Hatelogginin we must be sisters...I have had that word for word! What's with acknowledging that she knows I don't watch it but still telling me some shite about fictional people I have no interest in? Argh.

I get this from my mum, particularly about M&S, but then the conversation moves to be judgemental about her (extremely good) friends who dont shop at M&S. The conversation is repeated possibly monthly.

I explained once that I am the same about Next - I have friends who wear lovely clothes from there, we were given lovely presents for my DC from there, their homewear looks great, but I (personally) struggle to find things in there that suit me. So I dont go in. As a shop it doesnt cross my radar. We are all different and that is fine. My mum said, fair point and then proceeded to complain about the same friend as previous month who doesnt shop at M&S. So I give up now. Possibly for me it was the very early vague warning bell about memory issues. My mum's surprise each time that the friend doesnt shop at M&S seems new each time.

@greenlanes, that surprise you mention, when your mum hears something for the umpteenth time... My mum does this when I tell her for the millionth time that I don't watch Strictly Come Dancing or Downtown Abbey. She just doesn't believe me. And then she'll try to catch me out by saying I seem to know enough about it, and I can't really say, "It's because you talk non-stop about it!"

At my inlaws' house if there's a family gathering we do sometimes end up discussing supermarkets because it feels like a safe neutral topic to which everyone can contribute. At the cost of wanting to die rather than hear one more time about how inexpensive Morrison's meat is.

Is she perhaps a little scared of any more controversial topic?

@TonTonMacoute my DF is like that!!!

He takes shopping around to the next level though, as my parents live in France, but very close to Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium. So some items HAVE to be purchased not just in a specific shop, but also in a certain country.

Apparently deodorant and tinned kidney beans are much, much cheaper in Germany (but not from the same shop), fuel has to be purchased from Luxemburg and some grocery items (can't remember which) from Belgium. With all the border-hopping and price comparisons, it's a miracle they ever found the time to work !!

OP that sounds exactly like my MIL. I just assumed it's what retirement is like!

I think your mum might just be boring.

People must think this about me! It's just that Sainsbury's is the only shop within walking distance and we don't have a car!

I must have missed the generational thing too, since I always shop around for car and house insurance every year, as well as switching bank accounts and utilities.

There are supermarkets that I don’t like because the local ones aren’t very nice- Tesco, Lidl and Morrison’s. On the other hand, Aldi and Sainsbury’s are good. I don’t use M&S or Waitrose because they’re too expensive. I guess that I would use others if they were decent shops.

Grunt and nod.

OP your Mum sounds like Nana from the Royle Family.

Ofthread - but the Aisle of Random Crap is the whole point of Aldi (and Lidl).

My ex’s DM had a M&S obsession. Think it was growing up a bit poor - she was only in her 40s when I knew her, and pretty much always worked FT, so not empty days related. Drove ex mad, as days out would always be there rather than somewhere interesting. His DF travelled a lot for work, and was allowed to keep the air miles. The DPs could have used them for their pick of exotic travel; but DM instead insisted on flying to London, which was quite accessible by train from where they lived. Once there, she rarely bothered with the sights, but just headed to the main branch of M&S...a branch which was probably no bigger than the one in their large local city.

Why does being retired mean you have to have limited views and opinions.

To me being retired means I have more time to inform myself, more time to do more things and shop around.

I suspect that wittering on in a boring manner is actually more of a boring person thing than a retired person thing.

NeverTooOld
Um the fuel costs won’t the fuel cost be far higher if shopping in 3 countries? I get they’re close. But even so....

My grandmother worshiped M&S and Sainsbury’s. Especially the latter. Is was quite funny actually.

I kind of get it, I like comparing supermarkets, finding bargains, I am always going on about how cheap and nice the shoes are in Primark. We have an Aldi opening up near me soon and I am v excited. Reading your post though has reminded me that I need to be careful not to bore people talking about it though!

My gran is like this with aldi, if I go shopping the conversation will follow like this..

Me "I got a chicken today, any recipe ideas?"
Gran "where did you buy it?"
Me "sainsburys/asda/morrisons"
Gran "you know they're cheaper in aldi?"
Me "yes gran I know but I don't have a car and to get to aldi would mean 2 buses whereas I can walk to these"
Gran "but you'll save 50p on your chicken"

Joyous thread!
My parents are champagne socialists and spend more time telling me where they WON'T shop although Waitrose is quickly replaced with Tesco if they want something enough and can't be fucked to drive 30 miles. They have just started on Aldi or Lidl, one or the other but other CSs have questioned a few things meaning it pissed on their money saving fireworks.

My late DM used to expect me to fill her in on what had happened in various soaps,despite knowing that I didn't watch them! She'd be sitting there watching Corrie,while I was reading a magazine and she'd say 'So what happened between X and Y then?' I'd say 'I don't know mum,I don't watch it'. Then she'd say 'What's this new woman's name then? I keep forgetting'. I'd say 'I don't know mum,I don't watch it' and repeat...... Used to drive me mad.

My dm was like this about pound shops, anything I bought for > £1 I was asked "why didn't you try the pound shop?".

She doesn't get out much now she's in her 80's, pretty much housebound and now her conversations revolve around her bowel movements and the best size of tena lady, so enjoy talking about shopping while you can!

It's obviously is an older person thing to an extent but your mums sounds quite extreme OP!

With my mum it's Aldi - she's endlessly smug because even though she's actually well-off, she can get all kinds of stuff cheap in Aldi If i have for example jam she'll ask where I got it and how much it was, then go on and on about how she gets hers at Aldi and it's HALF what I pay, and nicer! Oh fuck off! For one thing I'm nowhere near an Aldi, but I am near 4 other supermarkets so why the feck would I schlep 5 miles to Aldi for jam?

I also had an old lady neighbour who was obsessed with supermarket loyalty. "I see you've been shopping, where did you go?"
"Sainsbury's"
"Is that where you shop?" (every time)
"No, , I go to a variety of different supermarkets depending on my mood." (every time!)
"But aren't you loyal to one supermarket? I always go to Morrisons!"
"I know."

My mum's been here today doing the television thing.

I don't watch television. I watch sitcoms on Netfl ix or DVD but have no real interest in most television.i

Despite this she's been telling me all about Robert on 'Salvage Dogs' (I think) making a bed. As though Robert lives next door to me and I speak to him daily.

I suspect that wittering on in a boring manner is actually more of a boring person thing than a retired person thing.

I really hope so. My DC are always asking me to make sure I don't turn into my mum / asking when I think it will happen :o