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Most people probably try to concentrate on their checklist or what to make for lunch when grocery shopping, yet sometimes they can’t help but spot something they see no purpose in or think they would never pay for themselves. 

Naturally, though, as pointed out by some commenters, it is mostly about people’s preferences, yet others may still have questions about the purpose, price, or impact on health, which in some cases has a very informative explanation, as with pre-chopped vegetables, given by this Redditor.

Do you have something to add? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

More info: Reddit

#1

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Douches and perfumed vaginal products. Please, please do not use them!! vaginas are self-sufficient cleaning machines! scent and mucus changes are completely normal and change with hormones and menstrual cycle phases. if there is a health concern or you aren't sure, please just visit a doctor. and for the love of god, disposable pads and tampons are iffy enough but DO NOT get scented ones! your flower does not need to SMELL like flowers lmao

extratestresstrial , valeriob Report

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JB
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be way, way higher! A healthy “clam” smells, generally, lightly briny outside of period time. The mucus discharge should be semi-opaque whitish. Strong, unpleasant odour; discoloured (yellow, grey) &/or excessively thick discharge; anything unusual for *you* that persists for more than a week, go to the doctor. Also, don’t wash inside; not even with just water. The vagina is self-cleaning. You need the mucus barrier to protect against bacteria and fungal infections.

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#2

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Thinking of opening a grocery store for singles, where you can buy only the amount you actually need of a food item. A single clove of garlic, 2 scallions, 2 carrots, a cup of rice, 2 eggs, etc…. It’s crazy how much food gets thrown out because it gets funky before you can use it. Of course, this place would also have a coffee bar, serve local brews, wines & tapas & have local art and be open till 1 am….maybe some live local music…what do you think?

MjLjMimi , PhotoMIX Company Report

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JB
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would 100% go for this! People have said, “why don’t you just cook a full batch and freeze in single portions for the rest of [whatever]?” I don’t want to eat the same thing for the next x days. My freezer is relatively small, there would be no room for much on top of the frozen fruit, veg, bread and ice cream, etc. I keep in there. I know I’m privileged to be able to afford good food but it still annoys me having to throw out rotting food because I can’t get through it fast enough. Some food just doesn’t freeze well; lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers... all come out discoloured and soggy 🤮.

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#3

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase It’s worthwhile to consider that a lot of items you see in the grocery store as a useless markup for something someone could do themselves (eg, shrink wrapped potatoes, already peeled hard boiled eggs in a bag) are convenience items for people who do not have the time to cook 100% from scratch for themselves or their families, and/or they are someone with a disability and that item helps ease a burden.

I used to work in the produce section of a grocery store, and we sold these pre-chopped up vegetables. They were annoying to stock, sold out fast, and had fast expiration dates, so us employees didn’t really love those items in our department. I got to talking with a woman who was purchasing them one day though. She said they were for her elderly mother who struggles to chop vegetables up, and the already chopped vegetables allowed her to actually still make fulfilling meals the way she wanted. Working there for longer I interacted with more people buying them for the reasons stated, convenience when they don’t have time and disabilities.

Empathy goes farther than you’d think.

pufffinn_ , jnd-au Report

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Stephanie Did It
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm having more mobility issues with my hands, especially the inability to chop or slice without cutting myself. So in December I ordered one of those choppy gadgets with the grid to press veggies through, plus all the blades to julienne, etc. It's all packaged wiith slots and compartments for the blades and accessories, but being molded plastic there's NO way to put everything back where it came from without slicing yourself to ribbons. I can't even take the pieces out of the container, let alone assemble them to prepare a meal. I'm terrified of the thing! Those pre-prepared veggies are looking mighty good.

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#4

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase I used to think shredded lettuce was stupid because can’t everyone just shredded their own lettuce!? But now that I’m paralyzed on my left side after a stroke caused by a brain bleed, that shredded lettuce may come in handy for sandwiches and wraps that I always shredded lettuce for.

alm1688 , SpiceGirls4eva1 Report

#5

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase One day, when I was like 38, I was at the grocery store looking at these little tubs of cubed butternut squash.

I was standing there for a minute thinking, “okay. If I’m gonna have (x) tonight and (y) tomorrow, will the squash still be good the next day, or should I come back and buy it fresh the day I wanna eat it?”

The adolescent who worked in the produce department came over and stood next to me, mimicking the way I was standing until I finally looked right at him.

Then I reached for a container of squash and turned it over to look at the date. He pulled out some handheld machine and started punching numbers in, then exclaimed, “look at this!”

He talked at me for a good three minutes about how the whole butternut squash is cheaper, including showing me some calculations.

When he finally came up for air, I just said “right but I have tendinitis in my wrist so unless you’re going to come cut it for me, I can’t actually use a whole butternut squash.”

A lot of you strike me too much like that dude.

-WorkingOnIt- , U.S. Department of Agriculture Report

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SlothyK8
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Butternut squash also secretes a substance that, for some people, coats their hands while peeling said squash in a way that mimics superglue (cyanoacrylate). It's annoying, hard to clean off and gross. I love butternut squash, but every time I'm tempted to buy a whole one I remember how awful my hands felt and...nope.

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#6

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase The dairy aisle has sticks of pre-made *butter*. Doesn't anyone churn anymore?

ElbowSkinCellarWall , Mike Mozart Report

#7

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase A lot of people in this thread are not realizing that some people are disabled and simple stuff like cutting vegetables is not something they can do or do easily.


Egg yolk in pourable cartons, pre-cut veggies/fruits, pre shelled hard boiled eggs, pre-seasoned meals you put in the oven-it’s not meant for you.

Traditional_Front637 , Polina Tankilevitch Report

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Sand Ers
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Enh, shelled hard boiled eggs are for me. I can't peel an egg to save my life. (and yes, I've heard all the secret tricks.)

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#8

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Canned whole-chickens. An entire chicken in a can the size of a soup can. That ain’t right

BMB281 , TheWolfePit Report

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#9

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase As a transplant in Southern Appalachia I cannot get over the appalling amount of soda people will have in their carts. So. Much. Mountain Dew.

thereisstillgouda , Breakingpic Report

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R.A. Haley
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dew has an incredible amount of caffeine, the most of any soda. A lot of people are addicted to it.

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#10

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Canned mackerel. I bought some to bait a trap for feral cats (for a trap, neuter, return program.)

The smell is indescribably awful, except to say that it absolutely would knock a vulture off a manure wagon.

Feral kitties gave it two paws up, though!

mcdulph , Needtoknow480 Report

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Bec
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When our cats got elderly and sick and we were desperately trying to get them to eat and drink, chicken flavored baby food - stinky and wet.

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#11

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase I remember back in the late 1980s I'd wander the canned food aisle (I was trying to lose weight, so I'd walk to the grocery store, buy a couple of cucumbers and tomatoes and sometimes canned white chicken chunks to go along with them. Anyway I always saw these tiny cans of Potted Meat Food Product on the shelf and wondered what the heck it was. Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I bought a can (it was only about 40 cents at the time). Well, it was all you would expect and less from a 40 cent can of "meat"....looked sort of like a mushy liver-colored hockey puck, smelled like cat food. (The serving suggestion on the label showed it being spread on a cracker with a parsley sprig. Maybe the missing parsley was the reason the stuff tasted like Satan's jockstrap when I actually tried it...)

Ouisch , freshop Report

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#12

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase S’mores kits for $10 or more. Why?? Just buy the chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows separate. It’s cheaper and you’ll get way s’more.

Shanbarra-98765 , Travis Wise Report

#14

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Canned escargot (snails) in dollar stores.

I just imagine that in a venn diagram of ‘people who buy ingredients from the dollar store’ and ‘people who prepare and cook their own escargot’, there wouldn’t be a lot of overlap, no? 🤷🏻‍♀️

classyrock , Denki Report

#15

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Anything with politicians' faces, or names, on it.

Madlutian , Ben Welsh Report

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MontanaMariner
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get a good laugh from all the "Made in China" Trump c**p. My 'Murica coworker loves wearing his Let's Go Brandon hat to work. "Made in People's Republic of China." Haha.

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#16

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase 4 cobs of corn, individually wrapped in plastic, set onto a foam tray which is also wrapped in plastic.

SixFootSnipe , HanzoShotFirst Report

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lawrence Andrew
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Corn come conveniently wrapped in an easily removable husk. Single ears, perfect for one person. It amazing

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#17

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Single shrink-wrapped potatoes.

JellyfishExtra7515 , thewhitest420 Report

#18

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase The racks of tabloids, usually next to the checkout.

Taskforce58 , Leif Harboe Report

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Marnie
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember just after Trump was inaugurated, one of the US tabloids by the register read something like "Finally, dignity restored to the White House." Talk about your thinly-veiled racist comment! Nobody could say the Obamas were not dignified with a straight face unless they just simply can't see anyone with African ancestry as ever being dignified. I was never a HUGE fan of Obama, but I wrote to the store and asked them to stop carrying that tabloid. I knew they wouldn't stop, so I also asked them to at least move them to the magazine aisle so they wouldn't be so noticeable to kids.

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#20

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase two peeled Clementines in a plastic clamshell.
$4.19


You can get a 3lb bag for $4, and they practically fall out of their peel.

darwal8817 , @satish_kraj Report

#21

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase I paid $12 for watermelon juice. It just looked so good. It was. But normally I would be like, what's wrong with that person?

draxsmon , Bruno Scramgnon Report

#22

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase My nearest grocery store sells three different kinds of vibrators right on the medicine aisle.

I cannot believe having the guts to go through check out with your groceries and having a supermarket vibrator next to your broccoli and potatoes

oakendurin , cregory83 Report

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Rostit.. .
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd make sure I also bought a large can of crisco and a comically large cucumber. I'd never break eye contact either

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#23

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase For real, sometimes I stand in the grocery store aisle like, "People actually buy this?" Top of the list has to be canned bread. Who even knew bread needed a can? It's like they're trying to preserve the mystery of how bread is born.

cuteeintroduce , hconfiance Report

#24

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase My brother once texted me a picture of peeps flavored Pepsi. I don't mind peeps, but that combination just sounds odd

Tim-S-Root , Ameliasco Report

#25

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Liquid death. Why are you paying so much for water?

Humann801 , tthemediator Report

#26

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase $6.50 cent boxes of cereal when the one right next to it is on sale for $1.99 that week.
Or name brand pasta.

Dirtheavy , Ian Ransley Report

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JMil
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

100% disagree on name brand pasta. Some discount pastas I've tried are terrible.

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#27

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase While not a grocery product it's something commonly stocked at grocery stores: any matte-black clad product designed as a "for men" product (labeled with the word/s "Men's" or "For Men" on the label) that isn't different from the normal product besides the packaging.

MaikeruGo , CuSO4Corndog Report

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#28

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase $6 bag of M&M's that look like they have 10 pcs. in them.

SardineAbuser , Mike Mozart Report

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MontanaMariner
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As much as I try to eat healthy stuff, Winco has a bulk section where I can buy $0.62 of Reese's Peices or $14.00 worth of oatmeal. I love it.

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#29

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Bubblegum flavored chips. I haven't seen them in a while but according to google they are still produced and sold. The same company also makes bubble gum flavored ice tea, which I tried, it was okay

Pituliya , ebay Report

#30

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Frozen hot dogs in a bun

tunachilimac , Polina Tankilevitch Report

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#31

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Cheetos Mac and cheese.
** edit
Bought my kiddo a box when it first came out cuz he just had to have it. It was just such a crazy shade of orange. I felt like a bad mom for letting him eat it.

trig72 , TexasPenny Report

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Bec
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pssh.. this is just the regular Cheetos one, ya gotta get the flamin' hot kind. The color is truly disturbing

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#32

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase I work in retail filling online pickup orders, so I get to see firsthand what people buy. The majority of people seem to be either very conscious of eating healthy, or totally don't care what they eat. As someone already mentioned, the amount of soda some people drink is just mind-blowing, but I think there are lots of people who have no clue about the amount of sugar in some sodas.

Also, some items like bacon and egg breakfast bowls contain a ridiculously high amount of fats and calories, but those are really popular with some people. Same with frozen pizzas.

During the course of my job I'm able to read nutrition labels, and it's appalling how unhealthy so many foods are, and yet they fly off the shelves. It's not surprising at all that 60% of Americans are overweight.

PDXBeccaP , Craig Adderley Report

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Tabitha
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless it’s a milkshake, I find you forget that what you drink has calories, if it’s not plain water. I lost 25lbs in one year (years ago) when I gave up drinking sodas and other high calorie beverages. Now I only have a glass of soda or a milkshake as a once in a while treat—-and now the carbonation of sodas bothers me plus they don’t quench my thirst, and I also have trouble even finishing a milkshake before I start feeling overly full (you know, that really uncomfortable—-on the verge of feeling sick—-overly stuffed feeling when you had just one bite too many).

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#33

Name brand canned goods. Why anyone would buy hunts brand canned tomatoes when the store brand tastes the same for a lot cheaper is beyond me

Korlac11 Report

#34

Those tiny cups of scramble fixings that you have to add your own egg to.

Overnight oat cups - the ones where you have to add your own milk and yogurt

Black licorice - I get that there are people who like it, but it seems like there is an awful lot in the stores, based on how few people claim to like it.

Toilet gel stamps the ones in individual plastic containers. So much waste!

Edited: Thanks for sharing reasons you buy these items. Totally makes sense!

lifeuncommon Report

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Gypsy Lee
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Toilet gel stamp? - I'll have to Google that one. (I'm back). So the lazy way to scrub your toilet that doesn't actually scrub your toilet. Sounds like Scrubbing Bubbles is investing in suckers now.

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#35

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Banana ketchup. It’s actually not bad. I was disgusted at the thought but on fries it’s sweet and yummy to add into other sauces.

Jungle Jim’s in Ohio will sell a whole pigs head right out in the case. You don’t even have to ask the butcher it’s right there in the pork section. Just looking at you.

ScreenNameMe , noahni74 Report

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Skara Brae
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The original ancestor(s) of ketchup had no tomatoes in it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup#Etymology

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#36

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Expensive furniture. Who is buying a sectional couch on a whim at Fries?

reality_boy , o freemockups.org Report

#37

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase I think I was an adult before it occurred to me that there might actually be people who bought the Twinkies and other related cakes. I'm in my 40s and I've still never seen anyone buy them, but they've got to be taking up shelf space for a reason, right?

geitjesdag , Mike Mozart Report

#38

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Eel loaf lunch meat — basically baloney (bad enough) but made from Eel meat.

yada_u , ytimg Report

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Leviathan
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well it's common in Asian countries, this is like if I posted a picture of a pork product and said "Wow Americans eat weird stuff made from pigs"

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#39

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Pre-crushed graham crackers. And I’m not talking about a premade pie crust. Literally just a tub of crumbs.

Amiiboid , wallmart Report

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Bec
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, so you can make the crust? They have a much more consistent texture than crushing your own.

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#40

30 People Shared Which Grocery Store Items They Cannot Believe People Actually Purchase Hard boiled eggs are a great purchase when on a road trip. I would not buy them for home.

CindersDunning , Antoni Shkraba Report

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Robert Trebor
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are handy for an emergency egg sandwich when you get busy and forget to eat. Suddenly brain says, "oops, hungry here, want egg." Slice a couple onto mayonnaised bread (how can you butter bread with mayonnaise? You butter butter, so in the same way you can mayonnaise mayonnaise), and as they say, "Viola! Lunch." (I know it's 'voila', but if you said "Viola, you'd have to make two sandwiches, one for you and one for Viola. But you don't want to get mayonnaise on your viola.

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