Self-imposed spending bans vs those due to circumstances

Lately I've been reading a lot about self imposed shopping/spending bans (by the way, I think they are to blame for my record poor eBay sales).

I find it very interesting to read about participants' grand objectives with respect to undertaking a ban only to read weeks later that they purchased x (but it doesn't count because a voucher was used) or they purchased y (but it doesn't count because it was an item that was on their wish list for months if not years).  I giggle to myself but then think - I've been there and done that! I can totally relate and at times it's almost as if I am reading about my very own shopping ban attempts.

So yes, I too have tried to put myself on a shopping ban on many occasions. I've even written about my different shopping philosophies and strategies HERE and HERE and HERE. Although I have loosely succeeded in changing the way that I shop, when it comes to shopping bans, I have failed miserably.

Self-imposed spending bans

I could never really figure out why maintaining not shopping was such an issue for me?  It's only now, with the purchase of our new home (yes, settlement when smoothly) and the responsibility of servicing three mortgages between my boyfriend and I, that the penny has dropped as to the reasons for my past failures.

The reasons are as follows:

1. I have always been dissatisfied with the contents of my wardrobe - there's always a piece or two missing.  Upon buying those two pieces, I realise that there are another one or two pieces missing.
2. I will refrain from saying that I like to shop (because I seldom make a day of it), but I do love bargain hunting. This usually occurs in short spates in my lunch break. Let me tell you, a lot can be purchased during a lunch break, and multiple bargains soon add up to a mountain of money.
3. Until recently I could afford to shop like a maniac (read: go crazy during sale times and make single expensive purchases).
4. I have had no reason to budget until now, meaning that my level of disposable income was high. This of course leads to disposable purchases, in the sense that one starts behaving like a spoiled child with too many toys... you wear it once and then toss it in the corner.

Does this sound like you? If not, then why do you think that you have failed in your shopping/spending ban?

Spending bans due to circumstances

To say that being faced with the challenge of servicing three mortgages has changed the way I view spending my money and the true necessity of my possessions (more to do with having to pack them than anything else) would be the understatement of the century!

There are two ways I could go now:

1. Not spend as much as I have in the past.
2. Accumulate a massive credit card debt in order to maintain my unrestricted lifestyle.

No prizes for guessing which path I plan to take and already I have noticed a mind shift in the way I approach shopping and spending money.

My first observation is that I have stopped buying things that I do not NEED.  This may seem like a no brainer, but I challenge you to think of the last 5 things you bought and ask yourself: "do I really need this or did I just want it?".

Take my last frivolous shopping spree (if you can even call it that) that I enjoyed in Melbourne - I bought 5 things and truth be told I don't need any of them.  Not to say that I will not use or wear my purchases or that I am not pleased with them - but I bought everything simply because I wanted it.  Needless to say, no more buying the latest moisturiser just because it sounds good and I want to try it, because for the time being I have enough moisturiser to turn the Sahara into an tropical oasis.

Secondly, I have noticed that the things that I do need (arguably) have become glaringly obvious.  I find myself looking out for this stuff and my vision is no longer obscured by the things I just want and buy first or buy because I like or buy just because I can. These items that I NEED have now become the only items that I plan to buy.

My third observation is that I have parked the necessary purchases until such time that the need for them truly arises. For example I really do need new layering tops (I have been saying this to myself for years now). Say I was hit by a bus tomorrow and my clothes required to be cut away from me in hospital - I would be embarrassed by what lies beneath.  But given it is Spring here in Oz, this much needed purchase can be shelved until such time that it is truly required and I will make do with what I have for now.

And last but not least - I have come to acknowledge to myself that am an extremely lucky woman. Not only can I still afford to buy what I need, but I already have a wardrobe full of lovely clothes that would make most women pretty happy. It's time to take advantage of this blessing.

So next time you go shopping and are considering the purchase of yet another bottle of pink nail polish or the 10th striped top to add to your collection - ask yourself DO I REALLY NEED THIS?  I mean really ask yourself this question.  Answer it for yourself.  Don't feel compelled not to buy the item just because your answer is no (because maybe your circumstances allow you to go crazy Broadway style and also I would hate for you to miss out on the bargain of the century), but don't be surprised if you walk away empty handed.

Here is a video of Bart and Millhouse going crazy - Broadway style. Enjoy.

  

Questioning minimalist wardrobes and in a fashion rut... again.

Earlier this week I had an epiphany moment.  I am a LAZY creature of comfort and as a result my favourite pieces are falling apart and I need to change this because it does not make me happy.

Get me into a dress which I feel comfortable in, and although it may not be the most flattering of dresses, you will not be able to get me out of it - until it tears!  Yes, that's right, earlier this week I found myself in the ladies loos (rest rooms) at work armed with a roll of packing tape and some scissors fixing my dress which I had worn to death.  This came only weeks after I retired my favourite black silk dress after the tearing under the arms got so bad that I could no longer lift my arms without looking homeless...

One would think that I own only two dresses... and it seems that people do because the moment I wear something different I get asked "Oooh, is that new?" (and it probably is, but then I don't wear it again for ages, since I'm in favour of my dresses).

Recently not a week has gone by that I haven't worn one of the following dresses on at least 2 weekdays (funnily the same dresses which I wore last Winter):

From left to right: Country Road, Adam, Country Road, Country Road.

In the image above, I have included both retired dresses - the Country Road animal print dress dress (any ideas what I could do with the fabric?) and the Country Road black silk dress which incidentally I have managed to replace (thank you eBay).  This replacement will be saved for occasional dressing as the fabric is too delicate to wear on an everyday basis.

I know that it's a good thing that I now literally wear out my clothing (how it should be I think?), but I can't help but feel sad when I do given I have so many other things in my wardrobe which could be rotated around to prevent my favourites from wearing out.

It has made me wonder again how some of the women who follow the "minimalist wardrobe" method of dressing manage it?  Is it possible that they are all Law students with only 9 university contact hours hence most of the time they are just sitting around studying at home or in the library in their James Perse trackie dacks? (For my overseas readers 'trackie dacks' is what we Aussies affectionately call track suit pants).

I don't care how expensive an item is, if you wear it constantly it will fall apart.  Blazers will develop a shine from multiple dry cleanings, cotton breton tops will eventually look manky (especially under the underarms from deodorant) and a delicate silk item will likely develop seam slippage if you wear it normally. That is move around in it typing, carrying files and what not...

I'm sad that my favourites are gone, but the reality is that if you wear things, they wear out.  In actual fact I think that I'm just surprised.  Until recently I never wore anything out.  I would buy a heap of clothing, only wear it once or twice and then forget about it as I bought the next thing.  When I was a younger party animal, you would not catch me dead wearing the same thing in the company of the same friends.  Then Facebook came along and the has-this-been-photographed-on-Facebook test was born before getting dressed to go out.  Haha... those were the days.

My aim for this coming work week is not wear any of the above dresses (granted I can't wear the animal print one anyway as it's torn).  This is my way of injecting some impulse into my life.  Can I do it I wonder?  I might even need to plan my outfits for this week!

Self-acceptance & the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy...

I have to be honest with you all - I have added a lot more to my wardrobe than I have culled over the last three months.

Thanks to a frenzied shopping spree in the US and a successful "hunting" trip to Myer after receiving an invite to the Myer One Designer Clearance, my wardrobe is once again looking rather full *sigh*.

Readers commented upon my return from the US that they could not wait to hear about my holiday purchases and although I prepared a post outlining what I bought, I could not publish it.  Reading it made me feel dirty and to publish it would be akin to airing my dirty laundry in public.

Just one of my US purchases

Nevertheless after some quiet contemplation (hence the less frequent blog posts), I have realised that I have not committed a crime... rather I have enjoyed spending the money which I have earned (after paying all my bills and putting food on the table).

Yes readers, I have resigned myself to the fact that I enjoy buying new things.  Although now, having the benefit of hindsight, I know that things can really get out of hand if I don't reel myself.

So having said all of this, in this my second year of my blog, I will try to utilise the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy* having already finished my more extensive allover cull.

The ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy means that this year for each new fashion item that I buy, I must get rid of a fashion item.  The same will go for cosmetics.  I must finish a product before I replace it with a new product, or at least get rid of a product that I do not enjoy using.

The idea behind the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy is that it will force me to be even more critical and mindful of the contents of my wardrobe.  Each time I buy something new I will have to revisit exactly what I have and how I feel about it.  Ideally I will eventually reach a point of WARDROBE EQUILIBRIUM - the point in which everything in my wardrobe is balanced and has meaning.

I have already utilised the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy in this past week.  I will write about it in my next post.


*NB: Utilising this strategy before undertaking the extensive allover cull is CHEATING.

My 2012 shopping philosophy

Sorting out my drawers, overflowing with tops, reminded me of when I was in high school, and of what one particular friend of mine used to do...

Every second Thursday my friend would receive $20.00 pocket money and on that same day after school she would drag me to the shopping mall for 'late night shopping' to help her buy yet another bad quality long sleeve top.  I asked her on one occasion why she didn't save her money to instead buy something of better quality or even something a little more expensive, like a jacket or something? She just shrugged and said she wanted to enjoy buying something NOW.

Judging from this memory, it seems that I was a smart lass back in the day to even suggest such a thing and although I have never spent my entire fortnightly paycheck on cheap thrills, something clearly went astray as 6 months ago I was faced with a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear.

Surely but slowly I am now culling my way through all my superfluous 'stuff' and figuring out what works and what doesn't.  I am finding though that a lot doesn't work anymore, but this being partly due to the fact that I am at a different point of my life now. Saturday nights now involve snuggling up to my boyfriend and cats to watch a movie or one of our favourite macabre TV shows, or dinner and wine with friends.  Neither occasion calls for a thigh length tuxedo dress.

This year in building my ideal wardrobe, I have decided to take a leaf out of my 16 year old self's book, and withstand purchasing filler items and instead apply my money towards staples and beautiful pieces, or at least things I need or KNOW will work for me.

What's in the box?

My shopping philosophy will be to:

• predominantly shop from a defined wish list of things I need and want (something I've never done);
• think through the long term value of each item before opening my wallet to purchase;
• if possible place an item on hold for a night or two to have a think about said item or to only shop in stores which allow (unworn) merchandise to be returned (and when I say returned, I mean refunded - non of this credit note nonsense);
• consider an item's cohesiveness with respect to the rest of my wardrobe before buying it - if it doesn't go - don't buy it; and
• do my best not to fall into the but-it's-only-x-amount-of-dollars trap - in the course of a month or two but-it's-only-x-amount-of-dollars adds up to hundreds of dollars.

So what's in the box? In the box are my first purchases for the New Year.  All will be revealed soon.

Set yourself a goal...

If you are like me (whereby you can only save money to spend money) - I think that there is nothing more effective than booking a holiday (or buying a new car... or saving a deposit for a home... or renovating a house) in order to get one's butt into gear to start scrimping and saving.

In exactly 3 months time I will be in the United States.  My first stop is New York City!

I have never been, so just writing these words makes me all giddy.  Of course the thing that makes me more excited is that I plan to shop till I drop... but for the time being I need to STOP shopping.  I keep telling myself that every dollar saved now is an extra dollar that I can spend in the US (sorry Aussie economy).

Over the next three months I plan to do a lot of wardrobe planning to best prepare myself for the biggest shopping spree of my life.  Hopefully I can also find the time to document events on my blog.

My wardrobe planning will involve:

• Completion of my wardrobe culling and cull diary. I am eager to see at the end how many items I have eradicated.  Like I said in my last post - I have a long way to go...
• Creatation of my wardrobe inventory list (a complete list of the items in my wardrobe). Ideally I would like this to be both a written and visual record. In doing so I also plan to critically analyse each item in my wardrobe in terms of frequency of use, adaptability for all seasons and occasions and each item's cohesiveness in terms of the other pieces in my wardrobe. I would like to do this to better understand the types of clothes I should be buying over those that I buy because they just look great, but then don't get worn. I'm interested to see how many pieces I own.
• Determine exactly what it is that I want my ideal wardrobe to contain. The missing items will comprise my US shopping list (again, just writing the words "US shopping list" gets me all excited). I want to shop smart and not like a shopaholic maniac.
• Creation of the perfect travel wardrobe, for travel across the US in March... I gather layering is the key?  I also need to keep in mind that I will need lots of space for my shopping! 

Image source: myfdb

When bad things happen to good clothes...

It's a sad day here at mycatssaymeow.  My beloved Country Road metallic linen cropped jacket split at the back seam today. This is the second time that the seam has split in this location.  It was kindly repaired late last year by my boyfriend's mother.  She said to me to be very careful when wearing it as the back seam was a flat seam and there was not much (read: no) give in the fabric. I tried and I failed...

It makes me very sad to see this jacket damaged like this. This prized piece has miraculously survived multiple wardrobe culls to make way for new less shiny things which are probably long gone now anyway.  This jacket has clearly been a staple in my wardrobe, but it seems that the end is near for this wardrobe trooper... It seems that when I do wear my clothes, I really do WEAR them!

Seeing my treasured jacket in this dismal state made me realise today that it's one of a handful of pieces that that I have truly "worn out".  It joins my Witchery black skinny jeans, Witchery black leather biker jacket, Marc Jacobs black leather pointy flats and heels in the same design, Country Road black leather biker boots, Country Road grey wool shift dress and Country Road black silk dress - all of which have been worn out in the last 12 months.  The difference though between this Country Road metallic linen cropped jacket and the aforementioned pieces, is that this special jacket cannot be replaced with something similar because it was more a 'statement' staple rather than a 'basic' staple.

Having previously been a hopeless shopaholic, there were times I would on-sell items before even wearing them once(!), nevermind actually wearing items out to the point of having to discard them!  Now that I'm actually wearing my clothing I am discovering that things really do wear out! (Haha, do I sound like a nutcase?) I've been asking myself today, how do people who maintain only a capsule wardrobe deal with things wearing out on a year to year basis? Especially if all that some people buy are well considered 4-5 pieces, if for example they follow the 4-5 piece French wardrobe method of dressing.  Do these people actually wear their clothes, like properly, like to work and grocery shopping? Am I just doing (wearing) it wrong?

So now I am sans my favourite summer weight jacket but the air-con has kicked in and my office is akin to an ice box. Although these last few months have taught me not to make do anymore when shopping, I can't be too discerning about what I buy because I'm missing my staple (and I'll freeze). Agh, what to do?  The conundrums of an ideal wardrobe builder...

Image source: google images

Wardrobe culling and the revelations that come with it...

Now this post is not about what I culled over the weekend (I will write about that in time), but rather it is about how I culled and the horrible realisations that I made immediately after and in the following 24 hours.

In the past I would cull my wardrobe bit by bit.  I understand now that this is the noncommittal way of doing it. Yes, you will successfully cull your wardrobe slowly over time, but you will probably not make any revelations about the "state of play" of things - to put it tactfully.  It will be a rather painless and unemotional experience with nothing being learned about yourself or your shopping habits.  So if you are reading this and thinking 'gosh, how ho-hum' or 'but I'm a fashion masochist' - then do it my way! Read on...

THE BIG CULL

On Sunday morning I found myself suffering from an upset stomach (I blame a funky olive that I ate) and hay fever - both excellent reasons be anti-social and to stay at home.  I decided to undertake a pre-Summer cull.  I did this by removing EACH AND EVERY item from the hanging rails in my wardrobe and I tried each item on.  Let me tell you... my next purchase will not be a silk top or tulip skirt - it will be a push bike!

The number of pieces that were hanging in my wardrobe that were slightly too tight or TOO SMALL was staggering (granted I've owned some of the dresses I culled on Sunday for many years and as we get older our bodies change... or so I tell myself).  No wonder I have been finding it tough to find clothes to wear each morning if for every one item there are two that fit poorly!

Even though I have known for months now that I need to loose a few kilos, there is nothing like seeing a MOUNTAIN of too small culled clothing on the bed to spring one into action!

During my culling process on Sunday I documented each item on a spreadsheet, be it staying or going... I found this to be a very interesting exercise indeed and I'm surprised by exactly what I own and in what quantities and whether each item it's actually a truly perfect piece (a post for the future I think).

THE REVELATION

There is that philosophical question which makes one question human perception and the knowledge of reality: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" .

In relation to one's wardrobe, this question can be phrased in whatever manner currently describes one's situation and way of thinking, but for me it goes something like: "If I get rid of all these clothes so that I can't try them on anymore (to see exactly how much weight I've gained) and buy new clothes that fit, does it mean that I don't really need to loose any weight?"

I realise now that before this day I saw one of the benefits of culling to be a self-validating experience.  In that in some cases one culls so that they can continue on their merry way of exercising the same behaviour until the next big cull. 

My Oprah-style light bulb moment came last night, about 24 hours after I had finished my cull.  A friend posted pictures from Saturday's garden wedding on Facebook... I don't think I need to write the words here, but suffice to say I was upset with what I saw (I hope it was mostly the angle).  So a mountain of culled clothing plus horrible Facebook pictures and I realised something which I have subconsciously known but consciously denied for a year... I need to shape up again.

Another realisation that I made about the state of my wardrobe is that I don't like the style and fit of the majority of skirts and bottoms that I own (which actually isn't that many).  I have always found it difficult to buy the perfect bottoms.  This realisation helped explain why there are no less than 30+ dresses hanging in my wardrobe and why I own some beautiful tops that have hardly been worn.

ACTION PLAN

In reading the preceding paragraphs one may think that I'm going to hold on to my "skinny clothes". I am not.  This is my action plan going forward:

1. I have decided to sell or give away almost everything that I culled on Sunday.  A lot of the pieces are pre-house acquisitions meaning that they are getting a few years old now anyway.  Furthermore a lot of the pieces aren't exactly classic, so not to my current liking.  If I cut my losses now, while most of the items are still in style and the brands are coveted, I may actually make a little bit of money.  If I wait but inevitably cull everything again down the track, I may miss out all together. 
2. I will keep some of my favourite, more special "skinny clothes".  I think though these items need to be moved into my spare closet, so as not to confuse me each morning into thinking that they are an outfit choice (when in fact they are not).
3. I am returning both skirts that I have bought in the past week to the stores they came from. Neither are perfect and furthermore each skirt is one or even TWO sizes bigger than the clothing I culled on Sunday.  Although one of the skirts is quite flattering to my current shape, by buying new clothes in my current size I am in effect accepting a figure which quite frankly makes me unhappy.
4. I must stop shopping for the time being and focus on the bigger picture (see next point).  I have decided that I will not buy anymore pants or skirts in my current size.  I will make do with what I have.
5. Lose weight (but because this is not a weight loss blog, I will not go into, how, what and when).

So there you have it, hardcore wardrobe culling and the revelations that come with it.

Back to answer a reader's question

My blogging hiatus has been due to work, social and eBaying commitments... but I'm back to it as of now and thought I'd re-start by answering a reader's question asked recently. 

Wendy has asked: Has [the culling] process helped you control your impulses or perhaps just given your wardrobe more room for new items?

I guess the best way to answer this question is to explain what started me off in the first place. To summarise for those that cannot be bothered reading the rest of this post:

1. I moved house (twice).

2. I put on a little bit of weight.

Here are some of the disturbing tales from both of my moves which have played a part in my commencing culling.

Moving Tale No. 1

I threw out about 3kg/6.6lbs of old makeup and skincare!

Newsflash to all the women out there who "collect" makeup - it's akin to collecting food - it goes off eventually! 

I threw out about 30 lipsticks and lipglosses ranging from Dior to Revlon and almost untouched bottles of foundation because they weren't quite right.  I couldn't bring myself to calculate the 100s of dollars that I was throwing out into the bin. I vowed at that point not buy anymore makeup unless I really needed it and most definitely not to be sucked in by GWP promotions.

Over the past year I have polished of bottles and tubes of foundation and tinted moisturiser, a pressed powder and I've hit pan on a couple of eyeshadow - not to mention I'm about to finish a MAC lipstick!

Maybe I'm a weirdo, but finishing a tube of makeup or skincare actually feels really good - a real feeling of accomplishment!

Moving Tale No. 2

I had to make A FEW trips in a STATION WAGON to move all my shoes and clothes.  I had more clothes and shoes than other household possessions!

Moving Tale No. 3

I used to store all my shoes in their original box at one point.  Unfortunately I did not have room for said shoe boxes in my new house... When I went to discard one of my shoe boxes (belonging to a pair of sneakers that I last wore in high school, AKA a long time ago) - I found a redback spider nesting in there...eek!

Moving Tale No. 4

Earlier this year when I was moving for the second time, I found myself moving the same box and the same two space bags filled with clothes from when I moved the first time!  I lived at my place for exactly a year and for this whole time I didn't feel the need unpack this stuff! Mind you these are the very bags and boxes which started the culling process. I culled the majority of the contents bar an old favourite or two which I re-discovered at this point.

Furthermore, and I'm not sure whether this point is more disturbing than the last, but I found myself moving items of clothing and shoes that I had not worn since before when I moved the first time!!!

Both moves made me wonder 2 things about the possessions that I was moving:

1. Why did I buy this? (If the item had never been worn or used.)

2. Why do I still own this? (If the item wasn't being worn or used anymore.)

Fast forward 6 months and 5kgs extra on my hips and again I found myself asking the same question about the same things that were still hanging in my wardrobe that now in addition to not being worn ever, did not even fit anymore! SO WHY DO I STILL OWN THIS!?!?!?!?

More frustratingly was a wardrobe full of clothing that was uninspiring, ill-fitting and old (I stopped/slowed down my shopping when I ploughed money into my renovations) - hence I made the decision to cull and re-invent my wardrobe.

My aim has NOT been to turn into a minimalist. Kudos to those who get by with owning 3 pairs of shoes, but being a minimalist does not interest or excite me at all.  I don't even think I need to say this, but I enjoy buying new things now and again (or every week).

My one and only goal has been to eradicate all the things in my closet that I do not wear anymore (for whatever reason) and to replace those things with a few items that I will wear.

Another behaviour which I am trying to adopt is to get rid of anything that I buy that does not quite work on me and does not quickly become a regular go-to-item. For example, just last week I decided to cull my Witchery animal print dress that I bought only a couple of months ago .  I like the dress, but I do not feel awesome wearing it, so it must go!

I'm over allowing my shopping mistakes to hang in my wardrobe for eternity to mock me each time I look inside.

In terms of the lessons I have learned from my culling adventures:

• No more sky high heels. No matter how much of a bargain they are!  Given that I am not a spring chick anymore, mega high heels are seldom worn. I have decided that it is better that I only own a few pairs of truly great or comfortable shoes rather than many uncomfortable heels that just end up standing around looking pretty. 
• No more cheaply made garments from cheap chain store brands. Not that my wardrobe was ever been filled with such garments, but I admit that sometimes I would succumb to a Sportsgirl or Miss Shop sale only to be dissatisfied with the polyester top that I ended up buying for a bargain - it's not a bargain if it's never worn or only worn once.  That my friend is classified as a waste of money...
• YES to Country Road, Cue and Veronika Maine dresses ... great quality and re-sell well.
• YES to designer bargains... (that fit well and that I can see myself wearing).

And yes, the culling has made room for lots of new purchases that I'm excited to wear ASAP - no more of this hanging around with tags still on!

Fashion dysmorphia

Have you ever been so inspired by a magazine feature or editorial, that you go out and buy the pieces in order to try to replicate the look for yourself?

Do you then look in the mirror with despair to realise that what you have come up with looks nothing like what was presented on the glossy pages of the magazine?

These images have been in the back of mind for many years:

Photographs by Pamela Hanson published in Instyle Australia - March 2009 (personal scans)

This Instyle feature inspired me to buy these shoes from Country Road:

For months now they have been sitting around in their box.  Each time I went to put them on I immediately took them off.  Even though they looked awesome in the Country Road catalogue, I felt they looked odd on me. I even thought this when I tried them on in the store (why on Earth did I buy them then?!?).

On Friday last week I said to myself - I HAVE TO WEAR THESE SHOES TODAY.

I wore them... but come lunchtime I had changed into a pair I keep in my cupboard at work. Up until then I had felt like a clown all morning. They just didn't work for me...

I'm not sure though whether I'm suffering from 'fashion dysmorphia' (i.e. my brain is tricking me into thinking I look like a freak) or whether I actually look OK (since Keri and the CR model looked so great)?

Binge Shopping & Shopping Bulimia

Do you suffer or have you ever suffered from either of these ailments?

Binge shopping is a type of dysfunctional shopping characterised by recurrent episodes of unrestrained shopping.  During such binges, a person buys excessive amounts of "stuff" that they do not need.  Most people who partake in shopping binges try to hide this behaviour from others.  For example, a person might leave shopping bags in the boot of the car, only to bring them inside when those who they live with are asleep or not around.  Another way of hiding their affliction is to lie about it... "What? This old thing!?"

Binge shoppers often feel ashamed about buying too much or depressed about their shopaholism.  To counteract these feelings of doom and gloom, some adopt compensatory behaviour such as shopping bulimia.  This is when the sufferer comes to the inevitable realisation that they have purchased too much or they do not need said items.  Said items are purged (returned to the store).

At times this behaviour is not immediate.  A morbidly obese wardrobe results, which can only be cured by grueling marathon eBay sessions..........................................

I thought I had gotten over my bs/sb, but in the past month I confess that I have momentarily relapsed.  This behaviour needs to stop! 

I have already "purged" a pair of Stewart Weitzman boots.  I have done the same to a pair of Tony Biano ankle boots that I bought cheap.  Although great bargains, both were just lying about languishing in their shopping bags. Neither was perfect or what I'm really looking for.