I thought I hated shopping w/ a passion...

I've felt like that once or twice, but I never acted on it.  

I've had a girlfriend or two that were illiterate in that sense.    

I'm not so sure--now she has to carry all the packages herself.  

let's face it, we all hate shopping...except when it involves music...so we'll spend half-an-hour combing through every single CD/LP in the charity shop 'just in case'...spend hours demoing 10 ostensibly identical guitars...and peruse pages of internet reviewery about that obscure plug-in you think might be the missing link in your next recording (except Bapu who just buys it, of course)

mgh
..and peruse pages of internet reviewery about that obscure plug-in you think might be the missing link in your next recording 

Indeed. But I equate that with planning.
 
You know, the old comparison between hunters and gatherers? That definitely works for me, and I'm definitely the hunter type. I evaluate in advance, extensively so, then go for one "prey" - maybe have an alternative or two. 
 
But I'm focused and I just don't walk into a Guitar Center to maybe buy something. Which is the opposite of my wife, who is more of a gatherer, and can spend hours shopping without focusing on any particular "target", and pick dozens of little items from here and there.

My time limit is 45 min. If anymore is required, she'll go on her own......but, she's very cognizant of this and personally prefers to get all the shopping done in under 45 min.
 
Of course, it also helps to have 45 minutes worth of money.  
 

I've got two shopping modes.
 
1)  Shopping must be done.  This involves intelligence gathering, accurate planning and lightning fast ingress and egress with military precision moving from store to store in the most efficient manner possible.  There is no loafing.
 
2)  Meandering.  This usually involves an attractive female, no actual agenda, no rushing, definitely no time pressures and pre-medicating (to make me compliant).  Any actual shopping that occurs is purely accidental though often spontaneous (and frequently returned later once I've returned to my senses).