Hello.
My name is DeeDee....
and apparently I have a fucking shopping addiction!
Drugs of choice - Old Navy, Gap, The Limited, and apparently at one time Ralph Lauren and Guess.
If you can seriously point me to the nearest shopaholics anonymous I would greatly appreciate it. I may be a few minutes late because I would need to stop off and grab a cute shirt to wear but I'd look good for my entry and probably only pay $2 for it because if I'm nothing else I'm at least a bargain shopper! Never ever ever pay full price for something when it will be on sale in less than two weeks. (That's for you Friend 1!)
Back on track, I have never in my life seen so many freaking clothes and I'm not even kidding. Sad thing is, I'm only talking about clothes that I own and not everybody else that dwells beneath this roof. About the only person who comes close to owning as many clothes as I do in this house is A2 and that is of no fault of his own. A1 would have been close in the running but he yelled at me a couple of years ago for buying him clothes all the time so now I only buy for him when he goes with and that is once in a blue moon because he HATES to go shopping with me. Can't understand why?! Ungrateful cuss!
I've gone through so much stuff that I'm sitting here pretty much ashamed of the amount of money, albeit nothing was bought at full price, I've spent for really no good reason. I've gone through clothes that I've hung on to for YEARS but they still look brand new because I like to think I take good care of my stuff but my husband says they look brand new because I probably only wore each outfit once before trotting out to buy a new one or it got lost in the shuffle of everything else and I forgot about even having it.
Don't you dare tell him I said this but maybe he's on to something. I know for a fact that I folded up at least two or three shirts and skirts that I've never had on my body other than when I brought them home to try on because I hate dressing rooms. I folded up a couple pairs of shorts that I bought at the peak of my fat assedness in the size that I wished I was at the time and I've yet to squeeze the caboose into them yet. I'm close though, prolly another couple pounds and I can actually wear them but that's not the point. The point is I bought them at the time when I knew I couldn't wear them and that was just stupid even though they may have only cost $5 or less.
If I had a table set up with nothing but tank tops and t-shirts for sale right now and sold each one for $1 I would be sitting on no less than $300 and I haven't even cleaned off the shelf in my closet or the two drawers in my bedroom yet. This crap came out of a mule chest and out of drawers in the bedroom downstairs. Downstairs! Where I would never go to get a shirt to wear! My bed is currently littered with the the first bit of t-shirts that I have to go through today and I'm looking at at least a good couple hours just folding them all because all I did was rake them off the shelf and toss them on the bed. It took about six trips from the bed to the closet to get them all in there.
All kidding aside, I'm pretty sure I do have a serious underlying problem that compels me to shop for shit I don't need. I know for a fact that I do it whenever I'm pissed at the husband, whenever I'm feeling fat and ugly, whenever I'm stressed, whenever Friend 1 or Friend 2 calls to say they are going, whenever I see a SALE dot in the window, whenever I get my free $10 coupon and definitely whenever I get my Stuff and Save bag. This can pretty much be summed up as every single time I get into my car and leave my house.
Sad thing is that I know I've hidden some of my purchases from the husband because while pulling all of my 1,000 pairs of jeans off of the tall shelf in the closet I found at least 6 Old Navy bags wadded up and stuffed either in between pairs or behind a stack. What is the deal? He will ask me if something I have on is new and I can more than likely stretch the truth and say no because while it may technically be new in the fact that I haven't worn it before, I more than likely purchased it a month or so ago and crammed it in with the rest of my stuff.
I do the same thing with stuff for A2. I buy him t-shirts and wait at least a few weeks before I put them on him and when asked if they are new I say can say nope he's had it a while and feel no shame in that. Gah, I feel dirty just admitting all this shit.
I'm also feeling a little panicky too because now I'm going to feel guilty the next time I go into Old Navy because admitting you have a problem is the first step. Check. Done that. Continuing to do the same thing in the hopes of a different result is just insane. Ooh, here's where I may be in trouble. Is it possible for me to drive by Old Navy and not pull into the parking lot? Could I possibly walk in and just browse without making a single purchase, kind of like weaning myself off? I'm going to have to do something though. This is ridiculous!
I wish I were exaggerating but I'm really not.
Here's my challenge to myself. Listen up self: Since my last purchase at Old Navy was when we went out to visit the new 'hood (and sadly it is STILL in the bag - shows how much I didn't need it) I have not been back. I am going to challenge myself to NOT GO INSIDE OLD NAVY or GAP FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE. I did go into Gap this past Sunday and spend $27 but that was on a baby gift for the lady next door who just had the cutest little baby girl on the planet! I didn't buy anything for myself or A2.
But anyway, I need NOTHING. A2 needs NOTHING. A1 can manage (especially if he just washes his fucking dirty clothes already!!). Besides, he doesn't shop Old Navy or Gap anymore, and the husband still wears his shit from 1987 so there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER for me to go inside either place or spend one red cent.
Can I do it? I don't know, I feel the jitters setting in right now so it's seriously going to be hard!
What can I reward myself with?
A shopping spree to Old Na.....no, wait, fuck, how 'bout a great big WAY TO GO for not being Old Navy's bitch for once!
**Edited to add: I've put off folding the t-shirts for now and opted to do the jeans/capri/shorts first and it's pretty apparent that if it comes in army green and has fucking cargo pockets on it somewhere...I own it. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. **
19 Comments:
I've done the discreet bag hiding thing a time or three, but more often than not, when I go shopping, I bring stuff home, try it on, gag a little in the mirror, and then return it quick so it doesn't linger on the credit card I have no business using. I suppose that's the benefit of working in a mall setting. The place I mostly shop at is right next door to where I work, so it's less painful for me to make the trip. It's probably good I hate malls as a general rule, though, because I can see where it can get wild.
You've cleared the hurdle of knowing why you do this, and you've seen the tangible "reward" is really just stuff that weighs you down and dismays you. The goal is to find the other alternatives and the strength to drive on by! I wish you luck!!
We all have our vices. I get into hobbies and spend a ton of money, then drop the hobby.
At least with clothes, you can sell or donate to charity and then look at it as your charitable act for the year.
Good luck with your resolution! Maybe tie the shopping to a goal, like, when you hit ___ lbs you can get one new pair of jeans.
I'll give you my address and you just pack that shit up and send it right to me! I'll take care of it all for you! LMAO
I've never had to hide the stuff I buy, but I feel guilty even shopping at the Goodwill on 50% off day. I generally just hate shopping, so I don't have that problem, but I've got plenty of other problems. I used to have enough yarn to crochet myself an entire house. It was hard, but I finally got rid of most of it. I have a binful right now I promised myself I would make into an afghan and I have yet to crack open the needles.
The Boss loves Old Navy, too.
"I'll only be 15 minutes, I swear!" she says.
An hour later, we're exiting with a few clearance "must-haves" that she'll wear once and forget about. Good thing we have that store credit card so we can save 10%!
I buy stuff at full price. Makes me think twice, even thrice before buying it. I used to do the sale shopping thing and I wound up spending more money and wearing less of what I bought. I have fewer things, but what I have is nice, lasts a long time, and I wear it out. Bargain hunting for me is best reserved for the grocery store.
I feel for you. Bargains are great. But a hard lesson I've learned is "it's not bargain if you arne't going to wear it or use it." If you spent money on something that is 90% off and it goes unused, it was no bargain to anyone. I know people who buy things like that and keep them in piles for gifts so they have perpetual stock. I am leary of doing that myself.
What you need to do is find another outlet for yourself with the energy and gusto that you have had for shopping. Where else can you channel all that enthusiasm?
haha! :0)
See, I love shopping at certain places too, and it's just so hard to stay away!!!
You could be like me and reward yourself with food, and then your ass won't fit in the clothes you have, and then you LEGITIMATELY get to go shopping for clothes.
So..little guy was in the hospital and I had NO time to get ready for my sales meeting..which meant shopping, hair nails etc.
Yesterday I went DEEP into the basement and pulled out a dress I haven't worn in YEARS.. I forgot I had it..and it's been so long it's back in style..I got a million compliments and it was FREE>..just old.. :-)
Good luck with the challenge!
As an incentive to get through it, how about trying to sell the clothes you no longer wear - as you said, if you even got $1 for each one, you'd get yourself a tidy pile of money. You could then, (in July...) without guilt, use the money to buy new (sale, of course...) clothes, without having to worry about the cost!
You can do it! Stay strong sister!
Good luck with that. If I don't fall into the Gap at least once every two weeks, they send the rescue team knowing that something MUST be wrong.
I am happy to announce that Friend 1 called me up and wanted to hang out this afternoon. We spent an entire afternoon together going to our usual stomps and I bought myself and A2 NOTHING!! I did have an outfit for him in my hands and I walked around with it for a good 15 minutes but put it down at the last minute!
WooHoo for me.
I appreciate all of your well wishes and similar stories. I know we do all have our vices but it's just sad some of them (mine) cost through the nose and cause unnecessary clutter!!
By the way, you are all invited to my yard sale!!
I wish I had your problem...or could afford your problem...lol. I don't have nearly enough clothes but I do shop clearance only. I hate paying full price for anything and I couldn't afford to anyway. I love old navy though and I just 6 shirts in their bargain section for under $35.00. And I don't have anyone to hide bags from but not many bags make it to my house anyway.
Can I join the club? :) Although my addiction is Target, since Old Navy is too far out of my way to go on a regular basis. :) Seriously, I might have the day off this Friday and I was thinking "well, I could take the kids to Target and get some summer play clothes", but when I mentioned this to one of my kids he said "but mom, we go shopping EVERY TIME you have a day of work to spend with us". I guess we'll be going to the park instead! :)
I have the same problema nd use the same excuses except I only go to consignment and thrift stores, cause then it is REALLLY a bargin(I brainwash myself)!!! Where I am lucky is I am single and I have no one to explain my maddness to, other them my daughters, who don't want to shop with me either!! Probably cause I can stay in a store or the mall for HOURS just to find the 1 treasure, or 30!!! Don't beat yourself up too much I am sure there are lots of us out there!!! ;) Good luck with the purging and staying out of the stores!!
I hear ya sista!
Can I sit next to you at your next shopoholic's anonymous meeting?
Those blog people? We're those blog people? That sounds like we're ugly inbred mutants squatting in somebodies basement or driving around in our VW minibus trying to find wifi. Yikes. Your hubby doesn't like our "type" I guess? LMAO
I am the same way at Target. I can't stop myself. It's so dangerous. Loving catching up on your blog. I'm going to add you to my blog roll- hope that's ok! :)
Welcome Scary Mommy! I'll add you to my roll too. Thanks for stopping by.
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