One of my favorite shows is Real Housewives of Atlanta. Well if you know anything about me, one thing I always say is that I need to marry rich due to my shopping addiction. But after reading some recent articles about the ladies from the show I am shocked to find out that most of these "fabulous" women and their spouses are actually really broke, and that their homes are being foreclosed due to missed payments. Now as much as I would love to marry rich, I would prefer to have an honest and humble lifestyle where I am financially secure and by all means not living beyond my means. I mean don't get me wrong having 6 cars in the garage, the newest LV bag whenever I want it seems appealing and all, but I don't want to have my car repossessed because I was trying to present an image to the rest of the world. All in all I think that when people are honest with themselves their credibility and how the carry themselves speaks louder then any bag, shoe, or car.
I have definitely had an eye opening experience reading this article and I know truly understand that the good ol' saying "all that glitters is not gold".
"I'm Rebecca Bloomwood and I'm a shopaholic! I destroyed my career on national television, I lied to the man I love and I hurt my best friend...I have a plan and I need your help! Who's with me?"
Last weekend I decided to have some me time, and decided I would watch a movie to take my mind off some stress. So while browsing on my Cogeco on Demand movie choices, I stumbled across Confessions of a Shopaholic (which is evidently what I decided to do my blog on). Watching the movie for the second time, I really got to analyze the movie and have decided this is NOT how I want to end up. In the movie viewers are introduced to an EXTREME case of shopping addiction in which the main character Rebecca Bloomwood is a self confessed shopping addict who find her self in a serious predicament after she loses her job, and is left with several credit card bills to pay. Throughout the movie Rebecca is haunted by a credit collector and is terrified for her life, all the while still making expensive purchases.
I have come to the realization that if I do not start changing my ways I will end up like Rebecca. Although the story does end off with her finally paying off her debt! Some maybe there is a hint of hope left for me!!
So I'm back from my mini vacation in Chicago and Atlanta, and boy do I have to tell you: We are being robbed!
So here goes the story...
A friend and I decided to go shopping on Day 3 of our trip in Chicago, we decided why not end off our trip with a bang and go shopping! Being the dedicated shopaholic that I am, I did not refuse this offer. So we researched some local malls and agreed that we would take a look at Michigan Avenue, which is a long stretch of shopping stores within the Downtown Core of Chicago.
Being that this location was fairly close to where we were staying we decided to give it a go.After walking around a few stores and a few accessory purchases later, we decided to walk into Macy's. Upon walking in, we were offered free cosmetics in the makeup department and then decided to make our way to the shoe department. Now this is why were being robbed as Canadians!
So I walk up to the shoe rack confident that they most likely will not have my size. I pick up a bunch of sample sizes and ask the associate of they have any shoes in a 9 or 10. She comes back from the stock room with a few pairs , so in my mind I'm like it doesn't hurt to try, I bet these hoes are about $100 dollars a piece and Lord knows my sale shopping ways will not budge for $100 pair of shoes. So I try them on and to my "surprise" they fit perfectly!
So I figure why not give it a chance and ask how much these shoes cost since I know I'm not gonna get them.
As I walk up to the register its like I have two spirits beside me one being my inner "angel" and the other one my inner shopping "demon" The good side was stating that I could most likely use the money for something else while I'm here, and that the shoes would probably be way out of my spending budget. While the other side kept cheering me on! So the associate comes back to me and informs me that all of the shoes I have are under $35, but I'm sure I heard something else and has to ask her again! She explained that they were all on sale!
Now to you, you may not understand but to me that was the greatest deal I had ever heard of especially, because all of the shoes I tried on were designer heels from BCBG to Steve Madden. You KNOW I had to take advantage!!!
It was this experience that I knew I was living in the wrong country. In Canada, based on my shopping experiences, the majority of nice designer shoes are bought in small shops in downtown Toronto for about $50-$100 depending if your lucky. I in all of my years in Canada have never found great deals as good as I did in Macy's that day!
So it goes to show, never underestimate the power of trying shoes on..you never know what surprise is in store for you :)
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something!
- Jackie Mason
P.S. 4 days later I decided to check out the Macy's in Atlanta and purchased 2 more pairs of Designer Shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See which shopaholic Sex and the City character you are most like. It was a surprise to me to see that I was most like Carrie, the shoe obsessed shopaholic. It's funny because every since I started watching the years a few years ago, I never truly understood many of their lifestyles, but now looking back these girls truly are living the true life of "shopaholics".
Along with my love of shopping, music has always been my second passion and come to find out I have people writing songs about me and I didn't even know it. This song is basically the story of my life. I've never heard or seen this artist, but apparently she knows all about me.I wonder if I can get rich for this... You know what that means... MORE SHOPPING
Here are the lyrics to the song. All shopaholics sing along!
If I don't stop shopping, I'll end up a bag lady; a Fendi bag lady, but a bag lady..... -- Carrie from Sex and the City
Okay so I thought it would be a little fun to have some anonymous guest's write to me about their shopping woe's. So here goes it ...
Dear Ruby,
I am also a shopaholic. And i have a big confession!! I work for Leave the pack behind and today while at work in the main foyer of Niagara College, I noticed a gentleman at a perfume stand. Immediately my eyes drew to this interesting display and I inquired about what the stand was about. Well, to my surprise he was selling discount perfume at amazing prices. I mean this was an offer no girl can refuse, and it didn't help that this man was the most convincing sales man I've ever met (he could literally sell snow to a snow man). Now considering the fact that I was working I don't know how exactly I ended up spending money while making money, I purchased the most amazing perfume, Just Calvalli. So my question is.. how do I break this terrible habit when shopping is all around me, especially when I'm at work? Dear hopeless shopohalic,
I unfortunately understand you, because quite frankly I am YOU!!!!
You see everyone, this happened to me and it seems like shopping is attacking my life more than I can handle. I have come to the realization that I will only buy when necessary if I want to start saving for future plans. So with this shocking revelation I have now decided to cut all shopping as of March 10th. (I prolonged the date because I am going on vacation next week and vacation shopping is always the best) you can't blame me!
There is nothing like having a bad day and making it all better with a good 'ol trip to the mall. Sometimes I wonder why people seek counseling when the mall is essentially a cheap and "inexpensive" way to cure all of life's problems. For those who you misinformed shopaholics retail therapy is defined as shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition according to the folks at Wikipedia. To me this is the best form of therapy because both parties benefit from the outcome . To the buyer they leave the mall feeling a deep sense of bliss, knowing they just left with some really good purchases. To the retailer knowing in my humble opinion they just made someone's day a little better, while making their wallet a little less emptier. So in a world full of self -indulgent shoppers, is their really room, better yet any need for real therapists?!?! I mean don't get me wrong all those hard earn papers in school must have been a pain, but who really needs counseling when the mall is available. You may think I'm crazy, but I'm just being honest. Some may say I have Oniomania, but that's not something a little shopping can't cure : )
I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.-- Tammy Faye Bakker
So I'm a self proclaimed shopoholic. I'm sure my friends and wallet can both agree with that! I love fashion and can't turn down a sale even if I tried. What can I say being fabulous isn't easy, and isn't cheap either! My solution to all this...to marry rich!!!
