AM I A SHOPAHOLIC ?????????

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                             

                                                    

‘The world of fashion blogging, inadvertently gives you shopping tendencies’ is so true. I see different bloggers wear something fabulous and instantly I have the urge to acquire it. Its not that I buy it immediately but I do watch out for the same thing either going on sale or becoming available in a desirable size . I also hold onto the coupons (sometimes) that the retailers mail out aiming to entice vulnerable shoppers like me and like. I would sometimes..ok most of the times end up buying things that I dont need or already own something similar, just because they were on sale or were at a price too hard to resist. With all these as a concern, I googled , yes googled for the symptoms of a SHOPAHOLIC. There were innumerable articles on the Shopaholics, but the most informative was the one from Discovery health. You hear it right, compulsive shopping is a mental health ailment. There was a list of 5 proven symptoms aka checklist for a person to adjudicate this disorder . So I took the test for myself too. You could read the entire article here.

The list goes as follows:-

My justification– I do spend time shopping online, but I do it only when Husband is at work and Ribhya is taking her afetrnoon nap. I had promised to myself that I would not take up blogging at the compromise of Ribhya’s time. She gets what is needed as and when. As for the finance part, I do have a fixed monthly budget and I adhere to it by all means. A little shuffling here and there and all buying happens within the stipulated budget. Husband knows that I could be a meager and stick to my monthly shopping budget, so he rarely confronts me with this. For me family comes first over anything.

    2. Financial problems and big debt– the idea behind this is the debt to total income ratio percentage.   According to analysts this should not exceed 30%. If it does then in the future you are at a higher risk of having a bad debt which could put you in a financial turmoil.

My justification– Financial analysts including my husband believe that you could be better off if you save a minimum of 15% of you net income every month. It would be a cherry on the cake if you contribute some to your emergency fund. So in my household the rule of thumb is to first keep 20% of Husband’s income in our savings account and then use the remaining towards the monthly expenses which sure does include my shopping budget. So with a little shuffling around, we are good for every month with enough for me to spend on me after other needs and necessities are taken care of. So this is mutual between Husband and I and we try to keep it going every month.

   3. Shopping is impulsive and excessive– a regular person uses his credit cards in a way to keep a balance of $16000 available cumulative of all his cards, but a compulsive shopper is more likely to maintain balance between $100-$500  shy of each card’ s maximum limit. A regular person would deliberate before splurging on something if on a tight budget, whereas a shopping addict would buy multiples without thinking much. Acquiring in excess is thrilling to them.

My justification– I always think twice or may be more before I splurge on something. I would rather wait for it to go on sale and meanwhile save for it if I really really need it. I do my math and only buy things which will be put to optimum use and render me bang for my buck. I have only one credit card with a few thousand dollars credit limit and I always have way more than enough balance remaining at the end of each billing cycle .( Unlike a shopaholic I dont have to freeze my credit cards to control my shopping tendencies…all pun intended, hope you have seen the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic.) I also keep a track of my spending which also keeps me on the saving and spending track simultaneously.

   4. Shopping despite feelings of distress and guilt– People who suffer from compulsive buying        disorder may also have feelings of anxiety or tension while they try to resist the urge to shop. They feel distressed from resisting and as result of their shopping addiction gets triggered and they spend more to deal with this.

My justification–  I have never felt the urge to spend, spend and spend. I dont get anxiety attacks per se if I resist myself from spending. If at all required I could go months without shopping and splurging. 

  5. Shopping causes intense feelings –  Compulsive buying disorder  sufferers have a sense of excitement
before a purchase, an inability to resist the urge to shop and a rush or
sense of reward while spending, despite any negative consequences of
their actions. Excessive shopping, uncontrolled spending sprees and impulse buys are the defining characteristics of compulsive buying disorder.

My justification–  I do get a sense of satisfaction and thrill when I shop for myself but not at the cost of overdoing it. I try not to shop when I am under stress because that is the number one cause of overspending.An occasional spree does not put you in the league of shopaholics, infact this occasional indulgence is the birth right of a LADY, and I am no exclusion and neither are you.So indulge but frugally.

So with all of the above I justify my stance as a  partial shopaholic  ( if something like this exists) , or otherwise I AM NOT A  SHOPAHOLIC. 

What do you guys think????

On a different note following is a widget of my recent purchases, click on any and ENJOY !