All The Ways Shopping At Costco Takes You On An Emotional Roller Coaster

Whether you're shopping for your family or you just get a thrill at the prospect of all the free food samples , the experience is an intense one for more than a few reasons.

From the beginning to the end of your trip to the store that sells more organic food than Whole Foods  (really,) you're bound to deal with one, if not all, of the following:

It always starts with excitement. After all, you're about to enter the creme-de-la-creme of grocery shopping. So you proudly grab a ginormous cart and head for those welcoming garage doors. Nothing can stop you, except ... 

The fact that, of course, your card has expired. And that line over there with all the angry-looking people on it? That's the one you get to stand in. 

With that bump in the road behind you, it's time to browse the electronics. Fantasies of purchasing a television larger than the wall in your living room are quickly squashed when you find a great deal on not one, but two electric toothbrushes. Who cares if you live by yourself? You'll need that extra one someday. So you throw that badboy in the oversized cart and make your way toward those tables. The ones with all the ...

Socks. An overwhelming amount of socks. Socks with stripes, socks with polka-dots. Black socks, white socks, neon socks and socks with cats on them. Your trip to Costco is basically a bust if you leave without at least one package of socks. You'll worry about the fact that your sock drawer is bursting at the seams later. Right now, you need to worry about ...

Samples. Hands down, the best part of any Costco trip. Arguably one of the main reasons to go to Costco. Who needs brunch plans when you can fill up on bites of lobster salad and mini hot dogs?

Of course, you need the sustenance to navigate the vast span of food-related aisles that lie before you. Here, you'll  do some real soul searching. Sure, everyone loves croissants, but what will you do with 25 of them? Of course you could freeze those five loaves of bread, but why?

Speaking of freezing, now is the time you're about to be. Stepping into the frozen section of Costco is the equivalent of stepping into the arctic tundra.The trick here is go to in with a plan: eggs, frozen spinach, waffles and OUT. 

A few aisles and internal battles later (can you realistically eat that much canned tuna fish?) it's time to escape. To get out. First, however, in the inevitably long line, you have time to do a few things: Realize you're never going to use that electric toothbrush, for one, and get a glimpse down the candy aisle. There is a fleeting moment when you think about being the kind of person who always has gum, but retreat back in line instead. 

$300 and a renewed sense of self later you'll feel ready to take on the day and your refrigerator (which definitely isn't big enough to hold all your purchases, but whatever). That is, of course, until you remember that you now have to find boxes to bring it all home in. 

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