Shopping Tips for Men Who Don’t Like to Shop

For many men, shopping is not exactly a hobby. It’s more of a dreaded chore. In fact, Psychology Today reports that “80 percent of men didn't like shopping with their partners and that 45 percent avoided doing so at all costs.” And while traditional mall shopping may not be the way to go for most men, there are ways to make shopping a little less painful.

If you’re a guy who doesn’t like shopping, here are some ways to make your shopping trips faster, less frequent, and, overall, more enjoyable for you.

Make a Shopping List

It’s well known that having a grocery list cuts down the time spent grocery shopping. According to Taste of Home, “To finish [grocery shopping] fast, the key is having a well-organized grocery shopping list and a plan of action.” And shopping lists aren’t just for grocery shopping, shopping lists can help make all store visits quicker, including shopping for clothing.

For someone who doesn’t enjoy shopping, cutting down the time spent at the store can be a major help. Make yourself a list of the items you need—men’s button-down shirts, ties, socks, whatever!—before heading out to the store. The more organized you are, the quicker you'll be able to purchase the items you need.

Shop Online

Nearly every store and every brand have an online store, and sometimes the selection online is even bigger than the selection in-stores. If you don’t like to shop, you can spend just a short amount of time browsing the online selection at a store you like and purchase a few items that way. You won’t even need to step foot in a store and you’ll have the new pieces of clothing delivered to your door in just a few days' time.

As long as you know your sizing, this shopping tip can help keep you out of malls and stores. Once you start online shopping, you’ll see how easy it is—you can buy everything from men’s athletic shorts and men’s dress shoes to even furniture online.

Bring a Friend

Turn your dreaded shopping trip into something you can look forward to by bringing a friend with you on your errand. You can even turn it into an actually fun activity for you and your friend by going out for lunch before you shop or stopping by your favorite sports bar afterward to catch the big game. Plus, according to Time.com just having a friend by your side will help improve your mood while shopping (and beyond shopping, too), which can be a very helpful thing for a man who dislikes the activity. “A robust social life can lower stress levels; improve mood,” the article states.

Buy in Bulk

While you may not need to buy multiple men’s suits or men’s blazers at one time, buying certain pieces of clothing, grooming products, and accessories in bulk can help reduce the frequency you need to go shopping. To help reduce the number of times a year you need to do some shopping, buy items like white T-shirts, underwear, men’s socks in bulk so you’re not visiting stores multiple times a month to pick up a new pair of black socks.

Another benefit? According to U.S. News and World Report, “when you buy an item in bulk, you're almost always saving money on each use of that product.” So, not only do you have shopping time when you buy in bulk, you save some dollars, too.

Know Your Sizing

Just knowing your measurements will help you save time while shopping. You won’t have to waste time sorting through clothing racks trying to find the best size or making multiple trips to the dressing room to try on those men’s khaki pants. Instead, you can grab your specific size and head right to the checkout line. Masterclass recommends that you “keep a note on your phone with your hip, waist, and chest measurements.” This way, you’ll always have your sizing information and won’t run the risk of wasting time at a store when you really just want to be home with your family.