Shopping attitude

What kind of a shopper are you? Are you an organized shopper? A impulsive shopper? A bargain Hunter? Or just a shopaholic? Or do you hate shopping?

(Source: Google)

The Organized Shopper is someone who carries a list of all the things she needs that are missing from her closet. She goes into one or two shops,  knowing before hand that she will find exactly what she wants.  She will buy everything that is on her list and she will not stray.

The Impulsive Shopper is someone who goes shopping for the thrill of buying something new.  She will buy something just because it is pretty or trendy not caring whether she needs it or not.  The act of buying uplifts her mood when she is depressed or is a reward after a long day or week. 

The Bargain Hunter is someone who will always buy things cheaper than what they should be. She will stalk a thing she likes until the prices go down and then pick it up. She does not believe in paying full price for clothes. 

The Shopaholic is just addicted to shopping.  She is a bit like the impulsive shopper but the difference is that she does not know when to stop. Her closet is full of things she never wore and her credit cards are maxed out.

(Source: Google)

  I love shopping and I do fall into all the categories mentioned above.  When I shop,  there are a lot of things going on.  It is not only a matter of going to one shop,  pick up what I need and walk out.  It is much more complicated than that.  I constantly talk to myself, asking whether or not I really need this item. People look at me like I am crazy and it can be quite exhausting.
Furthermore, I usually carry a list of things I absolutely need (or want) on my phone.  Sometimes I pull it out when I go shopping.  But most of the time I am an impulsive shopper: when I have a fight with the hubby,  or I am Pmsing,  I hit the stores. Then, I end up buying things I really do not need or will never wear. It is good that I finally find a way to make use of them by selling them. 

 I am also a bargain Hunter,  not only do I almost never buy something full price,  I also go from stores to stores until I find the lowest price possible. But this comes at a price: since I am big, I have less chances to find something I want on sale at my size.  So sometimes I buy it full price if I really, really want it.  Moreover, I enjoy thrifting a lot. I thrifted a lot of good quality clothes that I still have after years for absolutely nothing. 

  The thing I hate the most is online shopping.  I do not like the fact that I cannot touch or try what I buy.  I also do not have the patience to wait for things to get to me. I did online shopping a couple of times and had to either cancel an order because it was taking too much time to reach me,  or not finding the clothes true to size.  The last time I bought something online was at Forever 21 because the store itself was one hour train ride away from my house.  Out of 5 items I picked, one was tight and another had a manufacturing error.  Since they were on-sale I could not return them. For all these reasons,  I never shop online.

 One other thing I enjoy when it comes to shopping is doing it during vacations. When it is a summery and exotic location like Malaysia, I usually go for tribal shoes or bag, funky jewelry and always a maxi dress or skirt. But when it is somewhere like the US or Australia, I buy essentials things I could never find at my current location like a coat, some boots, lingerie and jeans. It is always good to shop during vacations particularly when those vacations are during sale seasons. You can update an entire wardrobe for a fraction of the price. 

    My best friend calls me cheap and she is right.  I do not have a job with a salary therefore I cannot afford to blow money on things that will be cheaper in a month or two. Even if I did have the money,  I just think it is a waste to buy such expensive things even if the quality is great. I could do much more important things like a down payment on a house with a $1000 instead of buying a purse.  I remember having that kind of argument with a Kuwaiti friend who had just bought a Louis Vuitton messenger bag. I told her that the thing, although pretty and sturdy, cost a lot and I would never buy it. And she said that the bag was expensive but it would last her a lifetime so really it was a good price after all. Until another friend of mine pointed out to her that it would surely last a lifetime but in a few months she would want the new L.V. bag that would also cost an arm and a leg and forget her messenger bag.

  I would have to say that my shopping attitude changes depending on the place I live in.  When I was living in Japan,  I used to shop in Gap and Zara because they carried my size which Japanese stores did not until H&M arrived with their unbeatable prices.  Then when I moved to the States I never enter a Zara store because I could find really nice and affordable stuff at Ross or Tjmaxx.  Plus, I discovered the joys of thrifting at my neighborhood Goodwill. In India,  I try everything: the mall,  stand alone shops and even Street sellers.  In India also,  I became more disciplined as I wait for bargain seasons (January and August) to go crazy and score all the things I lust over. Last January, I bought four pair of shoes at stores I never checked before for I thought they were overpriced. But their sales were too good to pass. You could buy two pairs of shoes and get one free. Furthermore if you get store card, you can score points that you could redeem later one. I recently got a dress and a blazer from my store points. I was so excited because I had never done it before and all the points came from grocery shopping because the card is for four different kind of stores: clothing stores, book stores, home appliances and groceries.

  Recently,  I have shopped less.  Ever since I discovered how to use my sewing machine,  I would rather buy fabric and make my own clothes.  It is time consuming and a real casse-tête sometimes but nothing can compare to the rush I get when I finish a garment and wear it.  Now I mostly go to the mall to get ideas and I buy things I cannot make. Then by looking at them I try to learn how to make them.

So what is your shopping attitude? Are you a bargain hunter or a shopaholic?