I
like shopping; shopping for myself and shopping for others. Infact, shopping
days are happy days for me. Am I a shopaholic? Nah…
If
you’re reading this:
You
either know one, you have been one or you are one!
I
was going through my movie archives recently and I stumbled on this old movie
“Confessions of a Shopaholic” (let’s not even start with my weird ability to watch a movie 10 times over). The movie is about a lady who loved to shop. She shopped
so much, she was in huge debt. It didn't stop her. She literally knew where all
the sales were. At some point, her friend made her join a shopaholics group to
help her.
One
day, she went to one of their meetings with somethings she just bought. She met
a lady going into the building and asked if she could keep her things in her car. The
lady agreed. Guess what? The lady was their new group instructor! She didn’t know
until the lady introduced herself at the meeting. Oh Shit!
The
new instructor (stricter than the previous) took all of them to a charity store
nearby and simply donated all she bought (including her bridesmaid dress that
she had just collected from her friend). Of course, the instructor didn't believe
her. She was used to all those 'kinda' lies.
The
lady went back to the store to plead for her stuff but they told her she couldn't get
them. She begged to buy them back (that’s paying twice). She realized she didn't have enough money and so she had to either choose between the bridesmaid dress
or the gown she bought for an interview the next day (Note that, she probably
had other new clothes she could wear for the interview in her closet). She chose
the interview dress and left the bridesmaid dress. Of course, her friend saw a
street hawker wearing her bridesmaid dress.
You
can imagine what happened…..
xxxx
Watching the movie, I wondered, are there really people who shop like this? The point where
shopping becomes an addiction! For many, the urge doesn't stop even when the
credit card is giving a red flag. You can think of a thousand reasons to get
those Gucci boots when you have 10 boots comfortably sleeping in your closet. It
then becomes a case of satisfaction rather than necessity.
Heaven, help the gullible shopper!
-
The addiction to shop for the shopaholic is so strong that when you ask why they shop that much, you hear stuff like- Oh! I just love:
The sheen of silk draped across a
mannequin.
-
The smell of new Italian leather
shoes.
-
The warmth of cashmere coats or
sweaters.
- The rush you feel when you swipe your
card and it’s approved and it all belongs to you.
-
The smell of malls.
Or
you hear something like – the economy gets better when I shop. HUH? That’s the
reason?
Oh dear!
Speaking
of the different types of shoppers, there are those who:
- Stock up on anything that’s on sale. You
simply can’t resist the allure of a buy one-get one free sale.
-
Buy strictly from a list.
-
End up buying twice as much as they
expected.
-
Buy only designer items.
-
Buy designer items only if they can
get it on discount.
-
Buy designer items only if quality is
truly an issue.
-
Buy something only when they really
need it.
-
Stock up their closets at the
beginning of every season.
-
Buy anytime they see something they
like.
-
Buy anytime they can find good stuff
on sale……..
Some
shop:
-
When they are happy.
-
When they are sad.
-
When they are bored.
-
Just for the feeling of entitlement.
-
Because they can’t simply wear one
dress twice.
-
Every damn day!
For
certain people like celebrities, fashion bloggers etc, having to shop very
often might just be inevitable; probably because there’s a constant need to
feed your followers/ fans with the latest trends and all. I do not have any
problem with that. I only need you to ensure:
-
You are not breaking the bank.
-
You buy and let go (as new things come
in, occasionally let some things go).
I
used to watch a program on Style network ‘Clean House’. I saw how many people
shopped and got choked in it. I mean, you shop and you have even your bedroom
and living room swamped in it. C’mon!!
Most
of them were either going through some mid-life crisis or just didn't know when
or how it got so bad.
Please
note: I’m not addressing ladies or fashion shopaholics alone. There are men who
are shopaholics too; gadget shopaholics and the likes. Yh, I see you right
there…!!
Buy
as much as you can afford. I mean, you have the money right? So, why not?
My
point is to make sure you’re gonna use them and not just choke your closet or room with
junk.
Re-evaluate
your closet every once in a while. You will be amazed at some things you didn't remember you had and are still very good. Give out items you are no longer
interested in. Do a yard sale. Give the needy. Give out to friends. Do whatever.
Just make sure you are not just buying and piling.
Hey
you shopaholic!
Always
ask yourself: Do I really need that? Make sure you have GOOD reasons for that
Yes!
Remember,
you also have the choice to say no!
Buy less, Choose wisely Digs and Skims…..
Thanks
for stopping by.
YS:
Ogunrinde Olayemi
CREDIT: Man Repeller
