If you are here you were quite possibly looking for ways to end your shopping addiction, or just to understand it? In this first post about this topic, I address the why. Read the how to STOP SHOPPING post.
Why do we shop?. This is a list compiled from my own experience, friends and people I have known through the years, and yes, scientific research. These are what I have considered the key reasons but I am open to suggestions.
Creative need: we crave for beauty and beautiful things. We have a "sweet tooth" for pretty things, for colors, shapes and contrasts. Our seventh sense is that of aesthetics (since our six is for understanding those from Mars) and this sense must be feed periodically. Anthropologie is one of those places that I visit to get my "fix" of beauty but buy nothing from, always leaves a void of "all those pretty things I want but cant have". Yet I keep visiting because something is better than nothing. This store is a trip to my grandmother's house, Alice's Wonderland, a help-africa recycling project and a girl at home popurry. Here are a few observations you might identify with:
So Saturday morning we wake up and realize it is time for a "pimp my ride" session, and me, myself and I are the ride. This is a case where we consider ourselves the canvas that we can use to get creative about, buying that necklace that matches the blouse...and the body.
Would we be satisfied simply arranging accessories and not buying them? Although there is certainly a satisfaction to this, buying the item feels like the signature on an oil painting, the culminating event and final touch of the masterpiece we created. You cant just paint and not sign, you must buy.
Anxiety: This is similar to eating when you are anxious about work you are doing, about a personal issue, anything you cannot find an immediate resolution to. This leads to the next point, procrastination. But before let me note that plenty of actresses are compulsive shoppers, among many reasons out of anxiety and possibly work related stress. Also, women from low income families spend great amount of time and money (considering their financial status) shopping. Of course it is not at brand stores they go to shop. Instead they go to Ross, Walmart, Target..you name it. Anxieties of a different kind hit this group, and they find relief on buying a lot of many cheap things.
Procrastination: We all know about procrastination, it is that self deceiving process you undergo when you must do X but instead you find a million tasks to complete before you even attempt doing X. Some of us become such creative procrastinators that we manage to accomplish inhuman amounts of work while on the run from X. It is not surprising that shopping is sometimes another escape for procrastination, surely and effective one since it could extend for hours.
That guilt feeling: How many times you go to the store and pick a few pretty shirts but on the way to the cashier....guilt grabs you and makes you put them down and away? We hold them in your hands until the last minute, and hope guilt doesn't strike. Guilt to spend more money, guilt to spend on those overpriced jeans we love, guilt to not be able to control ourselves, guilt, guilt. What do we do about guilt? We bring our girl friends over to help dissipate our guilty sensation, "why not buy if they are buying?," "She just told me to get that purple blouse," "I must treat myself".
Just a social thing: Stores are another place to "hang out" just like a mall is. You share likes and dislikes about the items you find, or get your friend to tell you how amazing that dress looks on you. It becomes a female bonding experience.
