Reformed shopaholic? please can you give me the benefit of your advice

ziggles50

NGlady wrote: »

Hey all - rushing around like a headless chicken this morning getting ready for work, I woke up and my hair was bad enough to make a small child cry. However I always have time to check my MSE forum. I know, thats quite compulsive, isnt it?

I have to say this thread of people are honestly some of the nicest people i "Know" - its quite odd as I consider a lot of people on here to be a friend of mine!

Hiya! I know what you mean about peeps on some of these threads. Weird how you can be more 'you' on here sometimes than in RL and how people ae much less judgemental:)

As for the hair i feel you. I took out braids from my hear at the weekend then didn't blow dry it as it was a bit delicate after being in braids for ages so i am currently sporting a big puff that i am trying to tame into a bug bun...Natural Afro hair is a trial i tell you:cool:

Have a nice day all!

Anglea

Hi all

NGlady I laughed when I read your comment that this thread hasn't stopped you spending money on clothes but it has allowed you to swop coffee for a bottle of water. Now what kind of advert is that for a shopaholic thread?? LOL

If I heard on the news about an incident with people collapsing in the street in shock, I will be able to pinpoint where you live and know that you didn't manage to fix your hair!

Have a good time with Mr D and I want details.

Hi Ziggy, hope you manage to sort out your hair too.

CompletelyLost

Hello folks,

I'm just reading back through the thread... I see most of you have been quite thrifty! Even you NG, Miss returner-extraordinairre! I also feel your pain when it comes to bad hair days - every day seems to be a bad hair day for me at the moment.

salesaddict - nice to hear an update from you even though you say your shopping is still out of control. I think we all forget that this was your thread and we all hijacked it.

I'm another one who's out of control at the moment. This week I've gone back to my old way of binge buying and then returning. I suppose it could be worse, but it's just such a hassle returning things... *kicks self*

My wardrobe is starting to get full again, yet I can never find anything I feel comfortable enough to wear. I've been on the hunt for the perfect checky shirt and I actually found one and bought it on ebay. That's probably the only savvy purchase I've made recently (£3.50). I'm waiting for a few things to be delivered today so can't go out to return some things as planned.

So yeah... moan over with. Welcome to all the new people as well :)

Anglea

CL we posted at once. So you're in competition with NGlady now with the returns. What will I do with you LOL

CompletelyLost

Yeah, I noticed we did

Hmm, I'm not sure who is worse - me or NG. At least she has good intentions, whereas I don't most of the time I fully know that I'm going to return things before I even buy them.

I'm panicking that my family are home in a few weeks, and also college starting again. It's no excuse (as they aren't really bad things, like grief, illness, etc, that some people have to deal with), but they are my triggers. *must get a grip*

How are you doing then, Anglea? Seems you've been on the straight and narrow for at least the past week (that's as much as I've read!).

Anglea

Hi CL

I remember before you mentioned setting yourself some challenges with the family away. How did you get on?

As to the shopping, if you know you're going to return them straight away I wonder why you buy. Do you get things that normally you wouldn't so you can experiment with different styles?

Where I live, the shops shut anytime between 4.30 and 5.30 so I often go out as late as possible and do food shopping first so the others are on the verge of shutting down and unless I spot something instantly, there isn't time to browse.

CompletelyLost

That's pretty much it - I want to try different things. I guess most of the time I don't have the confidence to try them on in the shop. I have to say that there is the odd time I've ordered things and thought 'actually, I really like this' when it's arrived - and ended up keeping it. Plus I get the buzz of shopping and a second buzz from returning.

My challenges are going ok, though there are some things I'm still avoiding You might remember I was doing driving lessons (one of my challenges) - well I'm not anymore. I do know the very basics now so I *hope* my mum will trust me enough to take me out in her car, just so I can practice a bit. I really didn't feel like the tuition I was getting was worth the money as I was barely in the driving seat for more than 40 minutes of a 2hr lesson.

Your idea of going out late is a good one. I hardly ever go into shops in the half hour before closing - I always feel like the shop assistants are scowling at me, like I'm stopping them from clearing up and going home.

I really must go grocery shopping today... proper shopping to the supermarket, not buying bits and pieces from the expensive corner shop

ziggles50

:mad: lost long blah blah blah post so i'll just say
1. Anglea what a good idea about going out later in the day. For a long time i just never went to town, but that was becasue i spent most weekends sleeping...so not much better in the mental/physical health department but free:D
2. CLi was going to say i can identify with having those kind of family related triggers (my issues are anxiety/eating). i take a lot of rescue remedy in august/september to cope with life 'returning to normal' after a hiatus from everyone being away over the summer and being home alone. Good luck with "getting a grip"!
3. I got a 0% card so yippee:T Gonna keep it in the freezer a la shopaholic movie so i don't spend on it!

CompletelyLost

ziggles50 - snap! I'm the same with anxiety and eating. Though I've got the eating under control FINALLY after about 6yrs, but the anxiety is still there unfortunately. I think I once tried rescue remedy (it was a friend's, she gave me a few drops before an exam) but not sure it worked. I'd probably need a bottle per day :rotfl:

Yay (I think?) for the 0% card. Wise move freezing it. I always memorize my card numbers so that trick is out for me.

Oh, and I always write my posts in Notepad and then copy/paste - so if my connection decides to die on me, I still hae my post.

Anglea

Hi all

CL, that doesn't sound right to me either, your driving lessons. Glad you persevered enough so you can hopefully go out with your mother.

On the subject of being a shopaholic, I was reading a couple of articles about Fergie and how she got into that £5 million debt. She comes across as either someone on a massive ego power trip or very deluded and mentally ill. It seems that every couple of months, she tends to do something even more bizarre, can't help but wonder how it will end up for her. She really needs some kind of help before something really terrible will happen to her.

Anxiety/eating - I think people often do this because the comforting food is easy to grab hold of. What happens if it's not in the house?
I read a tip which I found interesting when I tried it -

when you get a sweet craving eat a dried fig. It works for me - plus there's the added benefit of a good clear out if you know what I mean.

Savoury craving - eat some twiglets. You can't really binge on them without feeling a big sick.