Paralysed by choice

Do you think there's too much variety in retail goods?

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I'm beginning to think so. I hate going to Coles and Woolworths not only because I detest going to the supermarket on principle, but because I have to stand in front of the cheeses for 10 mins checking price tags and comparing different types versus value for money versus block, grated or sliced before being forced to make a choice ANY CHOICE before the lady huffing indignantly behind me pushes me over to get to her Cracker Barrel Sharp. Drives me absolutely barmy.

No joke, when I have to get shampoo and conditioner and I want to try a new one it probably takes me double that amount of time. A full 20 mins. Of staring at a wall of colourful bottles - looking at labels, comparing the sizes and obsessing over which one would be best for my hair (dry? oily? "normal"? damaged? curly?)... the mind boggles.

I think this is perhaps why Aldi scares some folk. Because there's maybe two types of things. Example: pasta: there's penne, or there's spirals. No macaroni for you. Ice cream: vanilla or Neapolitan. Rice crackers: BBQ or chicken. Peanut butter: crunchy or smooth. I will admit Aldi is better than it was a few years ago - there are different brands to choose from for some products now. But NOWHERE NEAR the OVERWHELMING variety to be found in the Big 2 supermarkets.

The dilemma I'm facing today is almost laughable; the chemist recommended that due to a little bit of dermatitis on my knuckle I start moisturising my hands. I asked if sorbolene would do the trick and she looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. And proceeded to recommend one that was $25 a tube, or MooGoo. I said I'd do a little research. So I went to the MooGoo website and I couldn't even figure which of their array of products was a bloody hand cream. Perhaps all of them are, or can be. I DON'T KNOW. This is how bamboozled I get.

I'm sure sometimes other nations laugh at us. Imagine having more than one brand of tissues! A lady I know from Zimbabwe told me that she had never even heard of tissues until she moved here 6 years ago. They always just used handkerchiefs. Now you can get not only about 6 brands, but pocket-sized, aloe-vera, hyperallegenic, "decor" boxes etc.

So here I am - paralysed by choice again. Ready with money to make a purchase, I know what I want - I just simply can't choose which bloody brand. And within that brand, which particular sort?

I'm giving up for now. But if you can recommend a good, cheap hand lotion - let me know.