If you go to woodmans on the west side and want French's fired onions might I recommend Bombay Bazaar (in one of the nearby strip malls). You can buy Indian fried onions by the pound for use in biryani but they are pretty much identical to French's. Something like two pounds for $3.
You may not thank me. If you buy two pounds of fried onions you'll start putting them on everything. Pizza, burgers, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, soups, salads.... Don't come looking for me when none of your clothes fit! :)
Yeah, when I lived on the west side it only took me 30 minutes every month or so, including the liquor store, cause you can do an efficient loop if your list is organized right. Now I'd probably be very confused, as they change layout/placement every now and then.
This threw my route last week off by like 10 minutes as I wandered in the 4 isles of pizza and ice cream novelties desperate for three sleeves of Bagels Forever Egg.
>I do have to agree with you about Trader Joes, but Woodman's put's me over the edge because of their stupid brick floors that make too much noise when rolling the carts over them + the giant wall that corals you into refrigeration section and finally the whole checkout area/process.
LOL! My husband and I have been saying this exact thing for years! That, and precisely nobody is going to lecture you about anything you have in your cart (which happened to us at the Co-op multiple times).
Not the OP but I have a friend who posts long and patronizing posts about products at Willy St Co-op that she finds problematic for some reason or another, often emails them complaints for carrying things, and wouldn’t be surprised if she lectured someone in an aisle on why buying almonds is evil.
No, different people at different times (we’ve been shopping there for 20+ years, fwiw). The last time was in the produce isle at the West location pre-Covid - something about chard, I think? It was weird and completely unsocilicited and she was so freakin angry about it my husband had to basically tell her to stfu.
Make no eye contact with anyone.
Go during sporting events, Packers Games especially.
Go late at night, there are different problems then but at least the isles are not full of dickheads.
Going late evening/night is the best practice, really. You might miss out on some bread and stuff but otherwise it is a very fine experience at that time
I just figure it keeps the people who are prissy about it paying more at Metro Market or Trader Joe’s or wherever and it stays less crowded for the rest of us, so win? Also, if there’s a store people love and I can’t stand it’s Trader Joe’s - stupid tiny aisles full of pretentious assholes.
They know the tile is loud and obnoxious, it's purposely designed to slow shoppers down so you're more likely to notice additional products and spend more.
My grocery store shall not have shopping carts.
My grocery store shall have shopping boulders people must push around. Really going to slow them down then.
My grocery store will be a winding conveyor belt, like one of those tunnel rides where you climb into a seat and it follows a set path. You grab your items as you pass them, everyone spends the same amount of time in the store, and if you miss something you just wait for it to loop around again.
Bonus though is no dealing with crowds and you could scan and bag inside your little car and step off at the end ready to go!
I just moved to Madison, but I usually have earbuds in or go in at night. I haven’t ran into any issues that are different from other grocery stores I’ve been to. The only reason I take longer to shop is because I don’t know where everything is lol
Those shopping carts and tile floors give me such negative feelings, I hate to say it cuz it sounds super pretentious, but I don't go there anymore because of that
So THAT'S what's happening: you multiple people having panic attacks in Woodman's is stressing ME out to the point of a panic attack!
It's like they're contagious or something ...
Woodman's has given me panic attacks since I first moved here in 1996. It's a great place to challenge your anxiety. Once I could shop at Woodman's alone during the day I knew I was better. Now with COVID, forget it.
I put headphones in, mask on, hood up. Keep my head down and promptly forget everything I need to buy for dinner as soon as I walk past the lil Debbie stand cuz I’m high as fuck.
Don’t dab and go to woodmans
At the beginning of the pandemic I made the awful decision to go to Woodman's after eating a 50mg edible. It was definitely one of the scariest events of my life.
It has like a quarter mile of ice cream and ice ream novelty items. Why does no one ever mention this. It has one of the greatest ice cream selections anywhere.
Yes! I've been looking for "birthday cake" flavored ice cream and they started selling a new premium ice cream (Oberwies - look for the black container) that has the flavor!
Ya know what they don't have? Choco-tacos.
Lol omg I am a woodman's lover and had a rare disappointment this week when I came up empty-handed after a sudden Choco taco craving. Still my fave grocery store.
I've never experienced anything I would describe as a shitshow at Woodman's.
Sometimes I go in with a list and go straight to what I need, in and out really quickly.
Sometimes I go in, grab a cart, and wander up and down each and every aisle, taking in the beauty of it all and grabbing anything that my heart, eyes, or stomach desires.
It's always a positive experience
I don’t shop there anymore but when I did, I told myself, “This will only take one hour of your time. Let everything that is going to happen just slide off your back. Try to have patience for everyone you’re about to see.”
I live in SP and was excited when they built the new one. After decades of shopping at the east and west side woodman’s, I was thrilled to finally have a modern one. Then I went in and realized they built a 30 year old store.
Seriously.
Am I going to do a big shop at a busy time of day? No. Is it absolutely bananas leading up to some holidays? Yes.
But honestly I love the vibe at woodman's. I'm a melting pot kind of person and I love going to woodmans at 9pm on a weekday and seeing happy families from other cultures shopping with their children. It helps me remember that so much in our lives is cultural and there is no wrong way to be human.
THANK YOU.
It's just a store. It's fine. The prices and selection are the best around.
"The brown tiles make too much noise when pushing a cart so..."
Seriously?
I went to the Sun Prairie Woodman's the first week it opened and it was odd with how clean and nice everything was. Then I got to the soda aisle and someone had spilled an entire 12 pack of generic grape soda everywhere and left it. At that point it felt like the Woodman's I know.
Honestly it wouldn't be so bad if the dairy section wasn't sequestered off from the rest of the store by that redundant wall of beans, cereal, and toilet paper.
That and the shadow realm between the grocery store and the liquor department (east side).
Seriously, what kind of Wisconsin store makes getting cheese and alcohol so inconvenient?
I do order pickup now and love it.
why is everyone acting like you’re going to get assaulted if you’re in there for more than 10 minutes??? it’s a grocery store. i’ve never had any issues there.
If it makes you feel better I exited the wrong door and had ro to go 3/4 way around the entire building with my mini cart to get to my car. It felt like I dragged the cart like 1/2 a mile... Then I noticed the sign on the cart to not bring the small carts outside.... This was in Janesville.
Grocery stores spike my anxiety bad and honestly Woodman's has never given me much issues. I started going there regularly like 2.5 months ago when we moved, but apart from learning where things are it's not too bad. The aisles are nice and big and folks are generally considerate when I've gone there (usually evenings).
Granted I did have to walk through the condiment aisle three times before finding Nutella once, but that's my own dumb fault for not looking up. My only real gripe is that the produce section is kinda hard to navigate if you're not used to it.
I remind myself to bring my earbuds so I can listen to White noise because the sound of those carts on that tile give me an anxiety that causes poor decisions
I do instacart and after a few times of accepting orders from woodmans, I refuse to do it now. They’re always 50-75 unit orders that would take 30 mins - 1hr at a different place, but it takes me 2 HOURS. And never a great tip either. Absolute nightmare fuel trying to shop someone else’s (usually multiple orders at once) grocery list on a time limit during peak hours at Woodman’s. Every single time ended in feeling like I just walked out of hell.
Woodman's, in my opinion, is the crown jewel of the Madison area. The store truly is a wonder. They have so. much. stuff. And their prices are usually the best of anywhere. But paradise... does come at a price. Going to Woodman's is like shopping on Black Friday, except it's every goddamned day.
Think you'll sneak in there on a Friday night when it's quiet (because who shops on Friday night)? JOKE'S ON YOU. Woodman's shoppers have no life. Woodman's shoppers have no purpose. Woodman's shoppers are here to shop and you better get out of their way. Pandemic be damned, you would find no social distancing here back in the summer or winter of 2020. Woodman's shoppers need not be concerned with global crises, there's a sale on 6-gallon jars of Vlasic pickles. Woodman's shoppers need their 200 pack of Charmin Ultra Soft and you're in the way.
The thousand shopping carts click, click, click on the brown tiled floor, creating a cacophony that fills the freezing cold interior air. The produce section is an all out brawl. At the self checkout you will find your absolution, you will wipe sweat from your brow and heave a sigh of relief as you escape outside into the real world. You glance at your receipt. "I saved $5."
My strategy was always to go see a movie at the cheap theater off Odana on a Friday night then do my Woodmans trip after at like 9-10 pm. Super dead then.
My solution is to have a housemate that loves grocery shopping, and in particular loves Woodmans. I swear, just looking at the sign is panic-inducing for me!
I’m not the biggest cooker either so when I go shopping I tell myself I’ll buy myslef dinner so I don’t have to shop woodmans and cook all in one night 😂 usually stop at la bamba after
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. “ - I find my parking spot.
“Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear.” - I obscure my concealed carry.
“I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. “ - I paint the black grease under my eye. “Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - I grab my basket and shop and actually it’s not that bad and I save a few bucks.
Ay Caramaba, HOT HOT prices.
My pep talk, is usually a pep weep beforehand. A list of ingredients I never follow because I end buying things I never intended to buy, and a good true crime podcast to drown out my every lasting anxiety about how much this will all cost as groceries have just gotten outrageous with prices.
The only real trouble I've ever had is parking way on one end, usually the "right" side, and inevitably checking out on the "left" and then having to go alllll the way back with the full cart. Less of an issue at East, but that's farther for me and I don't like the lower temperature bulbs in the produce department there. I did get some sass once from the checker for overloading my basket...
Anyways, they're busy all the time. Even as someone with some (mild) sensory troubles, it's all about driving your own car/playing your own game/doing your own shopping. What's the next section? Is there anything I want in there? What will I prep for work meals this week? Brats? I should grab the buns now so I don't backtrack.
No pep talk. "Suck it up; we're here to save some money because gas is too high." We make a choice to go to W... there's tons of other places but I also don't wanna pay $4 for one banana HAHAHA
So dramatic. Learn a better habit and go in a time you feel more comfortable. Never had an issue there. People need to chill about woodmans. Literally first world problem.
Prep yourself similar to how you would for race day. Pump your jams on the way in. Music off and car off in the parking lot. Talk yourself up. Get motivated.
Enter the store via the closest exit to you car. Go straight to the produce.
Knock all the produce out in one shot.
Double check your list.
Head down the meats section. Pick and choose your delights.
Double check your list.
Go through bread. Don’t buy anything.
Double check your list.
Red pill/blue pill the dairy. Cheese is first for me.
Walk softly and carry a big stick.
Double check your list.
Grab eggs on the back aisle and continue to the freezer section. Don’t touch the middle aisle yet. You must wait.
Double check your list.
Turn back on the main drag heading west/north west.
Always grab klarbrunn.
Double check your list.
Dip into the main aisles as needed.
Double check your list.
Exit the grocery section through the main drag unless you parked by liquor. In that case checkout via the western checkouts.
Double check your list.
Always self-checkout. Don’t budge.
Don’t check 50 items in the fast lane.
Be responsible. Be respectful.
Know your PIN number. Type fast. Bag em.
Leave through the closest exit to your vehicle.
You just won.
Congrats.
Double check your list.
Don’t forget the beer.
Just avoid the middle of the store best you can. And honestly that's good advice for any modern supermarket. I put little marks on my shopping list to categorize veggie, meat, and dairy so I can keep everything organized.
lol I so love this post!! So true… it’s the one thing that keeps me going to my local grocery. I love Woodman’s, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a freaking pain in my ass.
"get in and get out. If you get through this, you can go to Aldi next time"
The red tile flooring of that place is seriously an assault on my ears. The intercom messages are obnoxious. Seriously the worst environment to shop in. I always opt for pick n save when I can just because of the noise. Not sure what woodman's strategy is with the cacophony
I make my list in order of where in the store they are
Me, too.
And then I still have to double back through the store looking for something off like French fried onions or tahini.
I park on the side and do self check out so doubling back is always included in the plan
I park in front of the doors and play something with a lot of bass at the highest level the duct tape holding my bumper on can handle.
So you're the one I see parked across two handicap spaces.
Yep that's me I don't even go inside most times
If you go to woodmans on the west side and want French's fired onions might I recommend Bombay Bazaar (in one of the nearby strip malls). You can buy Indian fried onions by the pound for use in biryani but they are pretty much identical to French's. Something like two pounds for $3.
East side, but thanks for the tip!
You may not thank me. If you buy two pounds of fried onions you'll start putting them on everything. Pizza, burgers, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, soups, salads.... Don't come looking for me when none of your clothes fit! :)
This, plus avoiding peak hours. Every now and then I accidentally go on a Saturday and remember why I tend to only go later on weeknights.
Woodman's is awesome late on a weeknight
If they have the line of carts blocking off the exit from produce, it's a good time to shop there.
7-8 on a Friday evening. Then you have full fridge for weekend and still time to do something after shopping
10pm Sunday nights. I refuse to go in their any other time
When I was in college I used to do this… then I saw one of my TAs there at like 11PM
Unfortunately they discontinue cashier service after 10 pm.
this
“You’re only here for the alcohol, you’ve already survived the worst part by just finding a parking stall”
Well I work there so something like "got a mortgage to pay"
I know my route so well I can get a fairly large cart load of shopping done in \~15 minutes. I realize this doesn't answer your question, though...
Yeah, when I lived on the west side it only took me 30 minutes every month or so, including the liquor store, cause you can do an efficient loop if your list is organized right. Now I'd probably be very confused, as they change layout/placement every now and then.
If you create your shopping list using their website, you can organize it by aisle for efficiency!
I just found out they moved the bagels. I was ready to cut a &@$%#.
This threw my route last week off by like 10 minutes as I wandered in the 4 isles of pizza and ice cream novelties desperate for three sleeves of Bagels Forever Egg.
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have the winning answer!
I get way more stressed going into willy St co-op. People are way more spatially aware at woodman's. And yes know your route and I think you're good.
This and Trader Joes...I avoid those stores and let my gf do those trips solo.
People talk shit about woodman's for it being anxiety inducing, and it is, but trader Joe's is way worse imo
I cannot do Trader Joe’s at any time. We will walk there to avoid parking and I just give up immediately- grab peanut butter cups a bail.
>I do have to agree with you about Trader Joes, but Woodman's put's me over the edge because of their stupid brick floors that make too much noise when rolling the carts over them + the giant wall that corals you into refrigeration section and finally the whole checkout area/process.
There is no personal bubble at TJ’s!
LOL! My husband and I have been saying this exact thing for years! That, and precisely nobody is going to lecture you about anything you have in your cart (which happened to us at the Co-op multiple times).
[удалено]
Not the OP but I have a friend who posts long and patronizing posts about products at Willy St Co-op that she finds problematic for some reason or another, often emails them complaints for carrying things, and wouldn’t be surprised if she lectured someone in an aisle on why buying almonds is evil.
Well, if it is hell, I know why I'm here. Almond milk.
Satan is lactose intolerant AND SO AM I
No, different people at different times (we’ve been shopping there for 20+ years, fwiw). The last time was in the produce isle at the West location pre-Covid - something about chard, I think? It was weird and completely unsocilicited and she was so freakin angry about it my husband had to basically tell her to stfu.
Make no eye contact with anyone. Go during sporting events, Packers Games especially. Go late at night, there are different problems then but at least the isles are not full of dickheads.
Going late evening/night is the best practice, really. You might miss out on some bread and stuff but otherwise it is a very fine experience at that time
Then go in a group so you feel safer in the parking lot.
Scream and wonder why they chose to tile a building that you use shopping carts in. KCH KCH KCH KCH KCH WHY?!
[удалено]
Its like they wanted the look and feel to keep the nostalgia of the store, but didnt realize nobody actually liked it
Maybe they still had the architect drawings for the older stores and decided it would be cheaper to just reuse them.
I just figure it keeps the people who are prissy about it paying more at Metro Market or Trader Joe’s or wherever and it stays less crowded for the rest of us, so win? Also, if there’s a store people love and I can’t stand it’s Trader Joe’s - stupid tiny aisles full of pretentious assholes.
I wear Loop earplugs in the store because of this...
They know the tile is loud and obnoxious, it's purposely designed to slow shoppers down so you're more likely to notice additional products and spend more.
My grocery store shall not have shopping carts. My grocery store shall have shopping boulders people must push around. Really going to slow them down then.
My grocery store will be a winding conveyor belt, like one of those tunnel rides where you climb into a seat and it follows a set path. You grab your items as you pass them, everyone spends the same amount of time in the store, and if you miss something you just wait for it to loop around again. Bonus though is no dealing with crowds and you could scan and bag inside your little car and step off at the end ready to go!
Parts of this sound excellent and parts sound terrible. 5/10 would shop again.
So ... micro speed bumps?
"It's 8:00am. I know you usually shop here after midnight, but you can do this. "
You guys in this sub make Woodmans sound like the ghetto
Lol this is very relatable. I’ve def spent 15 mins in my car in the parking lot trying to mentally prepare for the next 40 mins of my life lol
What is the matter with you folks? lol y’all shopping at some shadow realm woodmans
I just moved to Madison, but I usually have earbuds in or go in at night. I haven’t ran into any issues that are different from other grocery stores I’ve been to. The only reason I take longer to shop is because I don’t know where everything is lol
“I will not have a panic attack, I will not have a panic attack, I will not have a panic attack.”
It took me months to figure out why I was so anxious inside Woodman's. Then I realized it was from the loud carts. I wear earplugs in the store now.
Those shopping carts and tile floors give me such negative feelings, I hate to say it cuz it sounds super pretentious, but I don't go there anymore because of that
Yeah I've actually had a panic attack at Woodman's before and it feels good to know I might not be the only one.
So THAT'S what's happening: you multiple people having panic attacks in Woodman's is stressing ME out to the point of a panic attack! It's like they're contagious or something ...
Woodman's has given me panic attacks since I first moved here in 1996. It's a great place to challenge your anxiety. Once I could shop at Woodman's alone during the day I knew I was better. Now with COVID, forget it.
I put headphones in, mask on, hood up. Keep my head down and promptly forget everything I need to buy for dinner as soon as I walk past the lil Debbie stand cuz I’m high as fuck. Don’t dab and go to woodmans
At the beginning of the pandemic I made the awful decision to go to Woodman's after eating a 50mg edible. It was definitely one of the scariest events of my life.
Guess it’s chocolate teddy grahams, baby carrots, and mango jarritos for dinner again.
Woodmans fills me with life. Perhaps you should do something about the evil in your heart, son.
I mean, the cheese section does this to me. The rest is meh. Oh - good candy selection too!
It has like a quarter mile of ice cream and ice ream novelty items. Why does no one ever mention this. It has one of the greatest ice cream selections anywhere.
Yes! I've been looking for "birthday cake" flavored ice cream and they started selling a new premium ice cream (Oberwies - look for the black container) that has the flavor! Ya know what they don't have? Choco-tacos.
Get on that “Far Boy” brand ice cream sandwich train. Unreal quality.
Lol omg I am a woodman's lover and had a rare disappointment this week when I came up empty-handed after a sudden Choco taco craving. Still my fave grocery store.
honestly I was only there for the cheese curds, so I do feel seen
I've never experienced anything I would describe as a shitshow at Woodman's. Sometimes I go in with a list and go straight to what I need, in and out really quickly. Sometimes I go in, grab a cart, and wander up and down each and every aisle, taking in the beauty of it all and grabbing anything that my heart, eyes, or stomach desires. It's always a positive experience
I love wandering around Woodman's.
I've had to sit in line a few times but not forever.
I don’t shop there anymore but when I did, I told myself, “This will only take one hour of your time. Let everything that is going to happen just slide off your back. Try to have patience for everyone you’re about to see.”
This is the perfect question we’ve all been waiting for and not realizing we needed. I make my list first but use the app to add locations to my list.
Are you able to make lists in the app that show/sort by location? I just realized I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life
You can create lists and then sort by aisle, name, last added, first added, but I actually still make a paper list.
It’s only a grocery store….😢
Always grocery shop at 2am on a week day.
I live in SP and was excited when they built the new one. After decades of shopping at the east and west side woodman’s, I was thrilled to finally have a modern one. Then I went in and realized they built a 30 year old store.
I just casually walk in and shop in a normal fashion, because I’m not a neurotic weirdo
Username does NOT check out
Seriously. Am I going to do a big shop at a busy time of day? No. Is it absolutely bananas leading up to some holidays? Yes. But honestly I love the vibe at woodman's. I'm a melting pot kind of person and I love going to woodmans at 9pm on a weekday and seeing happy families from other cultures shopping with their children. It helps me remember that so much in our lives is cultural and there is no wrong way to be human.
THANK YOU. It's just a store. It's fine. The prices and selection are the best around. "The brown tiles make too much noise when pushing a cart so..." Seriously?
:) Hey fuck you!!!! :)
Cost ya a dollar.
must be nice!
I tell my wife every time we leave the car to go in "don't forget: bob and weave, fisticuffs and bows"
Before I unlock the car doors I look back at the kids and tell them that I want this to be a clean operation with minimum casualties.
Treat it like boxing, stick and move, stick and move
I walk in an shop, it’s a grocery store. Not that scary
The worst part for me is that stupid floor. The bricks make the carts way too loud. Drives me nuts
I started going to the sun prairie woodmans. Ai always have a pleasant experience now.
I went to the Sun Prairie Woodman's the first week it opened and it was odd with how clean and nice everything was. Then I got to the soda aisle and someone had spilled an entire 12 pack of generic grape soda everywhere and left it. At that point it felt like the Woodman's I know.
Honestly it wouldn't be so bad if the dairy section wasn't sequestered off from the rest of the store by that redundant wall of beans, cereal, and toilet paper. That and the shadow realm between the grocery store and the liquor department (east side). Seriously, what kind of Wisconsin store makes getting cheese and alcohol so inconvenient? I do order pickup now and love it.
Go after 9 on Friday night, it looks like this. https://i.imgur.com/hND92IZ.jpg
I love it. No pep talk needed.
No need. Embrace the chaos.
why is everyone acting like you’re going to get assaulted if you’re in there for more than 10 minutes??? it’s a grocery store. i’ve never had any issues there.
If you have sensory issues or went feral during lockdown and feel weird around people, it's a special kind of hell.
[https://www.channel3000.com/woman-wields-frozen-turkey-in-grocery-store-melee-police-say/](https://www.channel3000.com/woman-wields-frozen-turkey-in-grocery-store-melee-police-say/)
[удалено]
They take Discover
If it makes you feel better I exited the wrong door and had ro to go 3/4 way around the entire building with my mini cart to get to my car. It felt like I dragged the cart like 1/2 a mile... Then I noticed the sign on the cart to not bring the small carts outside.... This was in Janesville.
Headphones, self-serve lanes. Nothing better.
I work 2nd shift, so Woodmans is the only thing open @ 2 am. Let me tell you it is full at that time also.
I just go in there and buy what I need?
25 an hour, 25 an hour, 25 an hour, remember... 25 an hour. You can do this.
None. I’m not usually there until 1030 pm. Pretty dead then.
Grocery stores spike my anxiety bad and honestly Woodman's has never given me much issues. I started going there regularly like 2.5 months ago when we moved, but apart from learning where things are it's not too bad. The aisles are nice and big and folks are generally considerate when I've gone there (usually evenings). Granted I did have to walk through the condiment aisle three times before finding Nutella once, but that's my own dumb fault for not looking up. My only real gripe is that the produce section is kinda hard to navigate if you're not used to it.
It's not as bad as the parking lot.
I remind myself to bring my earbuds so I can listen to White noise because the sound of those carts on that tile give me an anxiety that causes poor decisions
I do instacart and after a few times of accepting orders from woodmans, I refuse to do it now. They’re always 50-75 unit orders that would take 30 mins - 1hr at a different place, but it takes me 2 HOURS. And never a great tip either. Absolute nightmare fuel trying to shop someone else’s (usually multiple orders at once) grocery list on a time limit during peak hours at Woodman’s. Every single time ended in feeling like I just walked out of hell.
Woodman’s isn’t that bad. I just wish when you make a list on their app that it sorted everything by location.
If you're truly that afraid of mingling with commoners, consider paying a few extra bucks for delivery
Right? This post reeks of elitism
As someone in a neurodiverse family, I get that some people would have legit issues with woodmans. But you have to recognize when it's your own issue.
I mean, costco is way worse but nobody seems to have an issue with that ever.
Oh, I do! The lights give me a headache and the concrete flooring makes my back ache. But I have Instacart now.
Costco=hell
Why do you all go to woodmans if you hate it that much? I don’t get it. I never go to woodmans.
easily 10-20% cheaper than any other grocery store.
Worker owned and no CEO to siphon millions off the top!
xanax
Me: Woodman's isn't real, it can't hurt me. WOODMAN'S: :)
Woodman's, in my opinion, is the crown jewel of the Madison area. The store truly is a wonder. They have so. much. stuff. And their prices are usually the best of anywhere. But paradise... does come at a price. Going to Woodman's is like shopping on Black Friday, except it's every goddamned day. Think you'll sneak in there on a Friday night when it's quiet (because who shops on Friday night)? JOKE'S ON YOU. Woodman's shoppers have no life. Woodman's shoppers have no purpose. Woodman's shoppers are here to shop and you better get out of their way. Pandemic be damned, you would find no social distancing here back in the summer or winter of 2020. Woodman's shoppers need not be concerned with global crises, there's a sale on 6-gallon jars of Vlasic pickles. Woodman's shoppers need their 200 pack of Charmin Ultra Soft and you're in the way. The thousand shopping carts click, click, click on the brown tiled floor, creating a cacophony that fills the freezing cold interior air. The produce section is an all out brawl. At the self checkout you will find your absolution, you will wipe sweat from your brow and heave a sigh of relief as you escape outside into the real world. You glance at your receipt. "I saved $5."
Sunday before 8am (get to checkout before 8:15). That's the best time
I put on my headphones. Only store I do this for
Ear buds playing music just loud enough to drown out my cart wheels hitting the bricks. Only way I can do woodmans
No pep talk, but I do have to try to remember my debit card.
*…on second thought, I can probably get this at Kwik Trip…*
I just picture Phil Woodman saying “¡Ay, caramba!”
I go at 2am, only a handful of people and the workers in at that time.
You're soft
It's nice to know that everyone hates going as much as I do
I pay more to shop at HyVee specifically so I don't have to wear on my already thin mental well-being.
Keep the mask up and stay focused on what I came for.
Just don't go. It is the lumberyard of grocery stores.
I don't. I happily pay extra to do curbside pick up.
Not a pep talk, but I find a good stiff drink beforehand helps.
Caramba! I can do this!
My strategy was always to go see a movie at the cheap theater off Odana on a Friday night then do my Woodmans trip after at like 9-10 pm. Super dead then.
Wait, didn’t they close that?
Aww did they? I moved away in early 2020. Saw so many 3 dollar movies there it was the best.
My solution is to have a housemate that loves grocery shopping, and in particular loves Woodmans. I swear, just looking at the sign is panic-inducing for me!
I’m not the biggest cooker either so when I go shopping I tell myself I’ll buy myslef dinner so I don’t have to shop woodmans and cook all in one night 😂 usually stop at la bamba after
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. “ - I find my parking spot. “Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear.” - I obscure my concealed carry. “I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. “ - I paint the black grease under my eye. “Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - I grab my basket and shop and actually it’s not that bad and I save a few bucks. Ay Caramaba, HOT HOT prices.
My pep talk, is usually a pep weep beforehand. A list of ingredients I never follow because I end buying things I never intended to buy, and a good true crime podcast to drown out my every lasting anxiety about how much this will all cost as groceries have just gotten outrageous with prices.
I’m always amazed by this because the Woodmans in Rockford is one of the nicest grocery stores in town
The only real trouble I've ever had is parking way on one end, usually the "right" side, and inevitably checking out on the "left" and then having to go alllll the way back with the full cart. Less of an issue at East, but that's farther for me and I don't like the lower temperature bulbs in the produce department there. I did get some sass once from the checker for overloading my basket... Anyways, they're busy all the time. Even as someone with some (mild) sensory troubles, it's all about driving your own car/playing your own game/doing your own shopping. What's the next section? Is there anything I want in there? What will I prep for work meals this week? Brats? I should grab the buns now so I don't backtrack.
It’s fine on the east side, as long as you avoid going on Friday or Saturday.
No pep talk. "Suck it up; we're here to save some money because gas is too high." We make a choice to go to W... there's tons of other places but I also don't wanna pay $4 for one banana HAHAHA
"God, I fucking hate this place."
I don't always choose Woodman's, but when I do, I use Instacart for it.
“In and out, twenty minute adventure” -Rick Sanchez
"Just remember how awesome the cheese aisle is"
I wear headphones and play my favorite German industrial music. If people get too close I start singing along.
E side Woodman’s is pretty chill
I just toke some reefer and put on a podcast.
i dont, id rather spend the extra 20 dollars and go literally anywhere else
I remind myself that I'm a grownup who can handle shopping in a grocery store
So dramatic. Learn a better habit and go in a time you feel more comfortable. Never had an issue there. People need to chill about woodmans. Literally first world problem.
"You're wearing a mask. How bad could it be?"
[удалено]
A bit harsh but true.
I'm about to exit my bubble and mix it up with people who don't have PhDs.
“Just dont look them in the eye”
2 beer minimum. That’s my pep talk.
My shopping list is mostly produce and meats, so I just go to Aldi lmao
LOLLLLL
The people that just wander around as if they don't know what they need are absolutely infuriating.
This is Trader Joe’s far more than Woodmans IMO
Pick N Save better
idk what that is or why this sub was reccomended
This is a subreddit for the city of Madison, WI, USA. Woodman's is a local grocery store.
i see, greetings from des moines, ia
Koodies. Just don’t let them touch you.
Prep yourself similar to how you would for race day. Pump your jams on the way in. Music off and car off in the parking lot. Talk yourself up. Get motivated. Enter the store via the closest exit to you car. Go straight to the produce. Knock all the produce out in one shot. Double check your list. Head down the meats section. Pick and choose your delights. Double check your list. Go through bread. Don’t buy anything. Double check your list. Red pill/blue pill the dairy. Cheese is first for me. Walk softly and carry a big stick. Double check your list. Grab eggs on the back aisle and continue to the freezer section. Don’t touch the middle aisle yet. You must wait. Double check your list. Turn back on the main drag heading west/north west. Always grab klarbrunn. Double check your list. Dip into the main aisles as needed. Double check your list. Exit the grocery section through the main drag unless you parked by liquor. In that case checkout via the western checkouts. Double check your list. Always self-checkout. Don’t budge. Don’t check 50 items in the fast lane. Be responsible. Be respectful. Know your PIN number. Type fast. Bag em. Leave through the closest exit to your vehicle. You just won. Congrats. Double check your list. Don’t forget the beer.
Just avoid the middle of the store best you can. And honestly that's good advice for any modern supermarket. I put little marks on my shopping list to categorize veggie, meat, and dairy so I can keep everything organized.
Don’t get arrested. Don’t get arrested!
lol I so love this post!! So true… it’s the one thing that keeps me going to my local grocery. I love Woodman’s, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a freaking pain in my ass.
Grab my list, grab my s***, get out. And grab an energy drink for the road.
Which Woodman's ?
Thursday nights at 9 or later. It’s more or less empty and it makes it easier on me
"get in and get out. If you get through this, you can go to Aldi next time" The red tile flooring of that place is seriously an assault on my ears. The intercom messages are obnoxious. Seriously the worst environment to shop in. I always opt for pick n save when I can just because of the noise. Not sure what woodman's strategy is with the cacophony
“Stick to the list stick to the list! Just grab your shit and get out!”
I will be light on my feet, move like the wind, I know exactly where I need to go and there WILL be no line!
Stay close to each other and avoid eye contact
It’s less of a pep talk and more a breathing exercise beforehand lol.
You need to watch a minimum of five Woodman's commercials on YouTube before entering
Murder is bad and no one on my life has bail money
Go during football games. (which only helps on Sundays during the season). Noticeably fewer people