9 shopping behaviors Gen X inherited from their Boomer parents (that make no sense now)

If you grew up in a Gen X or Boomer household, you probably remember those weekend errands that felt like a cross between a survival drill and a pilgrimage.

There were rules, routines, and “the way things are done,” all handed down with complete confidence.

But here’s the thing: a lot of those habits made sense back then. Today? Not so much.

Let’s dive into the nine shopping behaviors many Gen Xers inherited from their Boomer parents that simply don’t hold up anymore.

And maybe—just maybe—you’ll catch yourself still doing one or two of these.

Are you ready? Let’s jump in.

1) Buying in bulk “just in case”

If Boomers had a family crest, it would probably be a giant pack of toilet paper from a warehouse store.

This urge to stockpile came from real experiences—gas shortages, inflation spikes, economic uncertainty. Their version of preparedness was quantity.

But for a lot of Gen Xers, the habit stuck without the original context.

Do you really need a gallon of soy sauce in your pantry? Probably not.

In a world where most of us live near multiple grocery options, where delivery is available in under an hour, and where food waste is a legitimate issue, buying “just in case” often turns into throwing things away later.

I learned this the hard way years ago after buying a lifetime supply of quinoa because it was “a great deal.” Spoiler: it wasn’t, because half of it expired before I touched it.

Sometimes less is actually smarter.

2) Driving across town to save a few cents

Boomer logic: gas is cheap, time is not money, and a fifteen-minute detour to save 12 cents per gallon is a heroic feat.

Except…it’s not 1978 anymore.

Gen X inherited this instinct to comparison-shop by car, often forgetting that time has become the most valuable currency we have.

And when you factor in traffic, stress, and actual math, the “savings” fall apart faster than day-old pastry.

Today, price-tracking apps, delivery services, and digital coupons can do the work for you without the road trip.

The more I’ve learned about the psychology of opportunity cost—a concept I first came across reading Daniel Kahneman—the more I realize how expensive these detours actually are.

Saving cents while losing hours? It doesn’t add up.

3) Staying loyal to brands for decades

There’s something endearing about Boomer brand loyalty. They buy the same mayonnaise, the same detergent, the same shoes, and the same coffee they discovered during the Reagan administration.

Gen X grew up with that same sense of loyalty: “This is the brand our family uses.”

But in a marketplace where new companies innovate constantly and quality shifts overnight, blind loyalty can mean missing out—or overspending.

Food brands get acquired. Formulas change. Quality drops. Prices rise.

If you wouldn’t stay in a relationship that hasn’t improved since 1994, why stay with a brand that hasn’t either?

Sometimes the better option is the unfamiliar one.

4) Clipping physical coupons

If your childhood involved a stack of Sunday circulars and scissors, this one will hit home.

Boomers treated couponing like a sport.

Gen X inherited the habit…but the world moved on.

Digital coupons exist. Automatic discounts exist. Price-matching exists. Most stores don’t even print circulars anymore.

Clipping coupons today is like insisting on printing out MapQuest directions.

Charming? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely not.

And honestly, the time saved switching to digital tools is worth more than the 50-cent discount on canned tomatoes.

5) Equating “more expensive” with “better”

I spent years in luxury hospitality, and even there I learned that price doesn’t always reflect quality. But Boomers came from an era where it often did. Cheap items fell apart. Expensive ones lasted.

They taught Gen X to use price as a shortcut for quality.

But today’s market is a different beast.

You can find amazing pantry staples at modest prices and mediocre “premium” products that are basically marketing wrapped in shiny packaging.

Private-label brands are better than ever. Boutique producers exist at all price points. Trendy brands sometimes charge double for aesthetic alone.

Smart shopping in 2025 requires curiosity, not assumptions.

Taste it. Compare it. Read the labels. Trust your senses, not the price tag.

6) Refusing to buy store brands

Boomers often avoided store brands because, back then, store brands were…let’s just say “unreliable.”

Gen X absorbed the same suspicion.

But wow, have things changed.

Some of the best specialty items I’ve found—organic pantry staples, plant-based options, surprisingly good snacks—come from store-brand lines crafted by legit suppliers.

In many cases, the same factories produce both the name brand and the generic version.

One time, during a tasting workshop in my old F&B job, we sampled a high-end grocery chain’s private-label olive oil next to pricier brands. The store brand won unanimously.

If your palate never evolves because you’re stuck on old rules, you’re leaving great food on the table.

7) Keeping every receipt “just in case”

You know those accordion folders full of receipts Boomers used to keep in a drawer somewhere? That was their version of “the cloud.”

Gen X picked up the habit, even if they don’t know why anymore.

Today, stores can look up purchases digitally. Cards track your transaction history. Apps store your warranties.

And if something goes wrong, customer service is usually far more flexible than it used to be.

Unless you enjoy the thrill of sorting through thermal paper that fades faster than a summer tan, there’s really no reason to keep a paper trail anymore.

Your phone already does the job.

8) Treating shopping like a full-day outing

If you grew up with parents who declared, “We’re running errands” like it was a military deployment, you get this one.

Boomers often made shopping an all-day event: groceries, hardware store, shoe shop, lunch stop, then back to the store because they forgot one thing.

Gen X learned to approach errands the same way.

But with modern conveniences—online ordering, curbside pickup, scheduled subscription deliveries—it’s now possible to reclaim hours of your life.

Time you can use on things that actually matter.

Things like working out, traveling, meeting friends, or even cooking something great for yourself.

This is one of those places where a tiny mindset shift pays off huge. Efficiency isn’t about rushing—it’s about choosing where your energy goes.

9) And finally, assuming “bigger” is always better

Whether it was choosing the biggest cereal box, the largest detergent jug, or the family-sized anything, Boomers were conditioned to think bigger equaled better value.

Gen X often followed suit without questioning it.

But here’s the catch: bigger isn’t better if you don’t actually use it. It isn’t better if it takes up space you don’t have.

It isn’t better if it spoils, stales, clumps, or gets shoved to the back of the cupboard and dies a slow, lonely death.

Minimalism isn’t for everyone, but intentional buying? That’s universal.

Sometimes the “better deal” is the one that fits your real life, not the life your parents grew up preparing for.

The bottom line

The habits we inherit shape us more than we realize. Some are worth keeping. Others made sense for another era, not ours.

Boomers weren’t wrong—they were responding to the world they lived in. Gen X simply absorbed their instincts before the world changed.

The point isn’t to judge these habits. It’s to notice them and decide whether they still serve you.

Today, we have tools Boomers never imagined: instant delivery, transparent pricing, digital tracking, healthier food options, and a culture that values conscious consumption over stockpiling.

It’s worth asking yourself: Are my shopping choices based on what I actually need—or on what I was taught decades ago?

And if you find yourself clinging to an outdated habit, don’t worry. Awareness is the first step toward doing things differently. Until next time.