Fashion

Confessions of a slight shopaholic

Hi. My name is Nicole, i’m 22-years-old and i’m a shopaholic. I don’t own any credit or store cards and i’m not in any amount of debt other than my student loan but I am a hopelessly addicted to buying things.

The products I buy are seemingly irrelevant, the thrill of the purchase is enough excitement in itself. Of course nothing compares to buying a shiny new designer watch but i’m satisfied with a trip to the beauty counter for a quick pick-me-up, i’m earning store points after all, right?

Wandering the aisles, enveloped by mascara and mousse I feel like i’m behaving. It’s only a few beauty products and the make-up is 3 for 2 so i’ll just get another lipstick. Before I know it’ i’ve racked up a £40 shopping basket on things I don’t need and didn’t intend to buy and more often than not I get home to find the lipstick shade doesn’t suit me anyway, amidst the excitement I forgot to test it.

Truth be told if I came home from a shopping trip empty handed i’d be more than a little bit disheartened, if I can’t think of anything to buy myself i’ll buy a gift. For my parents, siblings, friends or colleagues, at least that way I can take something home in a sparkling new bag.

An online questionnaire reveals I could be heading towards being a shopaholic and warns me to be careful, in fact I’m only four points away from having a ‘serious problem’ according to this survey.

I’m showing all the signs; selling and donating old clothes to make room for the new ones, hiding purchases in my car boot from my parsimonious parents and the trademark post-purchase guilt. I often end up returning items when I wake up to the fact that I either have no space/use for it or i’ve nothing to wear it with. Shopaholics don’t consider the logical aspects of purchases they simply see it, want it and buy it.

Like the majotrity of my fellow shopping enthusasists emotional buying is not unfamiliar. A dreadful day at work can only be fixed by a trip to the shopping centre, nothing banishes the blues like a new pair of shoes. On the contrary a piece of good news or a party invitation must be rewarded with a new dress.

In the book-turned-movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, fashion fanatic and wannabe journalist Rebecca Bloomwood identified with shoppers everywhere when she said,“You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that’s what it’s like when I see a store. Only it’s better.”

But when your valued customer status turns into urgent notices it’s time to step away from the credit card. For now though, my outgoings are no more than my incomings so i’m heading to Topshop this weekend.

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