FWD: Shopping under the influence

To shop or not to shop...

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/12/21/lifeliving/2823969&sec=lifeliving

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Be very, very afraid, people, because it's sale season and many of us will do great harm to our wallets.

HOW many times have you bought a shirt in a colour you would not normally wear? Or paid for a pair of jeans that is just a little too tight? Ever heard a sales assistant tell you that the tight leather shoes will stretch after you wear it for a while?
The Great Savings Sale now on puts us all in grave danger of buying things we don't need.

No prizes if all this sounds familiar and you had tried to justify your purchases by saying: "It was cheap, it was on sale"!

Well, folks, these all examples of Shopping Under the Influence!

The concept of a sale is to clear floor stock at discounted prices, whether it is clothing, shoes or accessories. The stock is deemed old or out-of–season and has to be sold to make space for new stock.

Discounts can start at a mere 10% early in a sale period, before going up to as high as 80% toward the end as the store attempts to clear all stock.

Let's be absolutely honest here. Can anyone actually claim to having never bought something on sale that is still stored away in some cupboard and has never seen the light of day? Or maybe you wore it just once before reality hit you: Oh my gosh, this is not me! What was I thinking?! What have I done?!

You realise you have made a mistake. Guilt sets in. You become morose. This is especially true if the sale item was an expensive designer label and was still expensive after the sale discount.

Sales can be very seductive and we buy things that we don't need. Like Speedos when you don't swim, or gym gear when you don't work out.

We all get caught up in a condition called the shopping frenzy. With the Great Savings Sale now on, we are all in grave danger of shopping under the influence so here's how I think we can resist the temptation. Ask yourself:

Do I know what I like?

Identify your tastes and what colours suit you. Do not buy things that the real you (when not in a shopping frenzy) would not wear. Also know your body shape and what suits you. Therefore you have to know your shirt size, your pants size and your shoe size.

Do I know what I need?

Only shop for the things you need. Check your wardrobe before you leave the house. Buy only that pair of black work pants you desperately need. Not in brown or taupe. And definitely not that pair of jeans, no matter how tempting they might be. Focus on looking for those black tailored pants.

Do I know what I can afford?

Set a budget before you go shopping and do not go over it. Realise you can max-out your credit cards and create financial strife over an item you might not need or use. Only carry cash with you. This is an excellent way to stick within the budget.

Do I know I can say 'no'?

If you answer "No" to any of the above questions, then you know the item is not right for you. Walk away and do not buy it, sale or no sale!

While there are bargains to be had, sale time can be fraught with danger for a lot of shoppers. When you DUI (drive under the influence), it is commonly said that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There are rehab programmes for these crimes. However SUI (shopping under the influence of a sale) can be criminal to your bank balance. I'd be a millionaire if I could patent a rehab programme for this affliction.

Charlz Chan has learnt, after many tears, not to shop or drive Under the Influence.

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