Did you rotate stores?
 

I know I did. I had this master plan to never hit up the same place too often. 7-11 today, then Kroger, then that other 7-11, then CVS, etc. I didn't want the cashier seeing me too often because then he'll think I'm a drunk (even though I never bought anything but beer).

The problem was if I ran out, I would take the past of least resistance and go to the 7-11 down the street. I usually had a buzz and didn't care what people thought of me. If I ever showed up and didn't buy beer the question was ask "not drinking today?", and I'd laugh and say no. Of course, that wasn't true. I was just heading somewhere else to get booze.

I didn't really give a crap toward the end (only six days ago, but it truly is the end). I just went to the closest liquor store so I could get my drink on.

Last year and the year before, I did rotate stores though.

I always made sure there was enough booze in the house for a party.

Oh my goodness of COURSE i rotated my stores- sometimes forgetting the last one was the biggest challenge!

I did that too. Would wake up to find a 40oz in my backpack and had no idea which store I went to.

Did at first but then just stopped caring what anyone thought of me.:(

Yeap, I had 3 stores I rotated throughout the week, it was a well planned operation, nothing to be proud of.

For all newcomers, if you see this pattern, where you are constantly consumed with where your next drink is going to be bought, it is a serious red flag about your drinking!!

Gosh, if this isn't a sign of a problem, I don't know what is. This should go on the alcohol screening test. And yes I did.

Lol there were two stores I went to all the time. At one point a year or so after I had stopped drinking on two different occasions I ran into the owners. They both inquired about where I had been of late. I reponded that, I had quit drinking. Both of the gentlemen replied good for you. Might have been a little intoxicated a few trips to the store on a few occasions. Sigh

Yes! I didn't want anyone to think I was an alcoholic lol! I had plenty of stores within a mile of my house so I could easily change it up each day and only visited the same store every two weeks. Yep, it was a sign of a problem, and I knew it.

Love the avatar...Chevron tang...one of my favorites...I am a fish geek!

I had a series of five stores I would rotate depending on time and location.

One CVS Manager welcomed my business and told me with pride that he had begun stocking extra 18 Pack cartons of beer just for me.

A cashier at another store would question me whenever I bought anything besides beer.

At home my beer supply was growing larger and larger. First I would panic if I only had six left, then twelve.

Saturday afternoons were the worst. If I had less than a case in the fridge I would get more to make sure I had enough to last until noon on Sunday.

Often I would be at the store shopping on Sunday morning. Timing my trip to be in line paying for my beer at exactly 12 Noon. - You can't buy beer before noon on Sunday in Houston.

Those were the good old days that I will never miss.

Absolutely rotated stores! I was a wine drinker and preferred the large grocery stores. I would go through the self-check so I wouldn't have to deal with a real person, but of course there was always the "please show ID" message and an employee would have to hit the bypass key. I'm sure they all recognized me, as they hit that key so fast I didn't even have to look up.

Yes, this is definitely a red flag.

Yes. i had three grocery stores and four liquor stores. i made the mistake once of trying to buy wine at 4 am. They have a curfew on it between midnight and 6am. Immediately the checker knew I was a lush.

Nah....
 

I went to the store with the ale I liked at the best price, didn't really care what anyone thought. They would just ask, "Want a Case?" and they'd even bring it out to my truck and put it on the seat....

Guess that's what happens when you drink for 3.5 DECADES!

Funny, I did the same. I loved self checkout because I could basically race through without dealing with anyone. And when the 'show your id to the cashier' message came up I would pretend to start pulling my ID out but I was there enough they just would kinda that nod that says "you're here all the time".

Yes I did. I attempted to control my drinking by buying a pint because I knew whatever I bought I would drink. Can't go to the same store everyday for a pint they might think I'm an alcoholic or something.

I didn't. I didn't even care. Whatever was the closest.

But I did hide bottles from the recycling bin. That where my shame landed.

Of course!

I had five liquor stores in the rotation. One is owned by an eccentric drunk. He'd give me a couple of nips most visits. We'd drink them right at the counter. I knew it was bad when I was embarrassed to go there. The clerks at the other close one started greeting me in a familiar tone, so I started driving a few miles away to a couple of huge stores where I'd buy three times as much as I did at the local places. It was supposed to last three times longer. That's not what happened.

I'm glad I don't need a masterplan when I go shopping today.
I don't find much to miss from the bad old days.

D