My name is Imelda....

Imelda Marcos. That's my nickname at work, as my colleagues have noticed the ten or eleven pairs of shoes peeping out from under my desk. And that's excluding my flip flops and roller-blades.

And I probably have a total of 30 or so pairs of shoes at home, I dont actually know as I've stopped counting.

I dont really deserve the nickname. I mean, unlike dear old Imelda, tai-tais around the world, and other fellow shopaholics, I do not own thousands and thousands of designer shoes. I own less than 50 pairs (I think), and none of them are designer shoes. I think I've only owned two pairs of 'designer footwear' in my life; one was a really comfy pair of walking shoes from Prada which I picked up on sale in Rome, and I have used them to death; the other was a not-so comfy pair from Bally, (also on sale in London) which I also used to death because I was young and vain and achy feet didnt matter as much then as it does to me now.

Now, I buy shoes from CK (that's Charles & Keith), NineWest, EasySpirit and Aerosoles (when they're on sale - they are overpriced in Singapore), Hush Puppies, Clarks, Crocs, and favourite Malaysian el-cheapo shoe-shop, Vincci. Oh how I wish I was back in the States, where I could buy shoes like Kenneth Cole, NineWest, etc, at a fraction of the price here in Singapore!

The thing about buying cheapo shoes - like from the Charles and Keith outlet - is that they are sooo cheap, for eg, I bought a pair of sandals for S$11 - that they act like disposable shoes. It doesnt matter if you get caught in the rain and your shoes are destroyed, just throw them away and buy another pair! You've only worn it three times and it now has a huge gaping hole? It doesnt matter, you can always buy another cheapo pair!

Oh I know, I should be thinking of quality, and not quantity, but when you are broke but have a shopping habit to support, you go for the cheap stuff.

Think of it this way:

$1000 for a pair of designer footwear which will last you a lifetime, but you'll have to wear the same boring smelly old shoes also for a lifetime;

vs

4 x $25 pairs of shoes, and with $900 in change, you can pay for a holiday in Thailand/Malaysia/ Indonesia, and even have a little extra left for spending money!

See the logic? Four pairs of new shoes AND a holiday too?

Enough said!

Shopaholic Speaks Too Soon!

Sad to say, I weakened during lunch.

My feet were killing me, so I went window-shopping for shoes to make my feet feel better.

Except that window-shopping became actual shopping - I found a cute pair which fit nicely and even better, it was on sale!

So yes, I bought a pair of shoes today.

$32 (after discount) - but it was a necessity, my feet were killing me and I needed a new comfy pair of shoes. The shoes can be worn for all occasions, including work, so really, it was a good buy!

(Yes, I know, excuses, excuses!)

I'm so proud of myself!

And why am I proud of myself?

Because I didnt shop during the weekend. Yup, didnt spend a penny! Oh hang on, not entirely true, I went to the Thai Embassy Festival on Saturday, and did buy a hand-painted tee... only $25!

What can I say, I am a shopaholic!

At least I didnt buy anything else - there were lots of accessories and bags and all the things I love, but I controlled my urges!

Also, the Boyfriend and Shopaholic's Sister were also shopping alongside. I think I tend to spend less when the Boyfriend is with me, but when left to my own devices.... watch out!

I'd rather lose money than hair!

Ms Shopaholic went to the hair salon last night and did more damage to her credit card!

Thu, 26 Mar 09

Haircut - $35 (though you cant really count this, since this is a necessity!)
Pedicure - $42 (again, not counted!)
Hair treatment - $168 (not counted, it was a treatment!)

So what's really counted is:

Hair products: $80 (to help with my problem scalp!)

Oh God, did I really spend $325 yesterday?

Total amount spent for the week, 23 Mar: $1131

Unfortunately for me, the week isnt over yet - here comes the weekend!

I seriously need to stop spending so much. I'm beginning to feel scared!

New FY, new blog.. update!

Just to update, I totally forgot about the shopping I did on the evening of Tue, 24 March.

No, I didnt buy any shoes or handbags, although that was the intention when I went to the mall, but ended up buying pillows and bedlinen instead! As someone commented on my facebook status - how domesticated! Indeed!

So my purchases for Tue, 24 March are:

3 books: $10

2 x nice firm pillows: $39 x 2 = $78 (original price: $99 per pillow)

Reason for buying: My other pillows have gone mouldy - like everything else in this damn country! So I needed them! And since they were on offer, best to get two!

Bedlinen, includes bedsheet, duvet cover and pillowcases: $99 (original price: $289)

Reason for buying: That's almost $200 off, as if you wouldnt!

Hmm, that means I've spent $806 in four days. Gulp!

Right, if I went for a haircut and had a pedicure at the same time, is this also considered as spending unnecessarily? After all, its for health reasons: I'm tired of having my bangs poke me in the eye, and my toenails are in a desperate need of cleaning and painting, and my feet needs a good scrubbing.

Like I said, purely for health reasons!

New Financial Year, New Blog

With the current recession in Singapore, you'd think Singaporeans would stop reaching into their wallets to buy unnecessary things like handbags and shoes and clothes, and spend their hard-earned cash wisely on whatever that is important to them in life, hmm, like, paying their electricity bills, paying for their kid's education, and whatever else responsible people spend their money on these days.

Not me. I like handbags and shoes more than having electricity (unless of course it disrupts my online shopping!). I dont have kids. And I'm not very responsible.

I am a shopaholic. I am addicted to shopping. Shopping is really like a drug, I get such a high from buying stuff. And for a junkie like me, it doesnt matter if the stuff I buy is cheap or expensive - though I especially like it when I get them at a discount. When I'm down in the dumps or have had a fight with the boyfriend, a trip to the mall makes me happy again. And even if I'm feeling ill, shopping takes the pain away and makes me feel human again.

True story: I had to recuperate at home after having surgery to remove my gall-bladder. I felt so bored, all I did was watch telly, sleep and sleep some more, no thanks to the painkillers I had to take everyday, and I also constantly irritated the boyfriend with my patheticness. A week after the surgery, I couldnt take it anymore, so I ventured out - bandages and all - to the mall for a bit of retail therapy. Ended up with a lovely little cocktail dress and a pair of matching shoes, and wouldnt you know it, I felt no pain after the shopping trip. So I stopped taking painkillers, I showed the BF how not-needy I was, and everyone was happy!

So, with the recession and all, I should try saving some money. Ok, the truth is, I want to save some money because there is something I really, really want to buy this year.

A flat. A four-room HBD flat. I am over 35 (did I just say that?), and I (think) I have enough clothes, shoes and handbags to last me a lifetime, unless of course I put on weight, my feet starts to swell and my handbags get eaten by moths.

In order to afford a HDB flat - do you know how expensive these things are!! - I have to save money, and in order to do that, I have to stop shopping. Ok, maybe not totally stop, but cut down a little. In order to kick my shopping habit, I think I should list down all the things I have purchased during this FY. I'm hoping if I actually have write down what I've bought and how much I've spent with reasons on why I've bought them, it could shock me into not shopping so much! Hence, the purpose of this blog.

So, let's start from this week:

Mon, 23 Mar 09
Silver sandals, Crocs: $54 - I need a comfy pair of walking shoes for my holiday in April!
White blouse, Forever 21:$43 - For work!

Tue, 24 March 09
3 books, Anchorpoint Times Bookfair: all 3 for $10! Bargain!!

Wed, 25 March 09
Lemongrass bodymist - $22 (I now smell fantastic and it also acts as a mosquito repellent!)
A pair of glasses - $500 (I need a new pair because my eyesight is deteriorating, and also my current metal frames keep poking the BF when we're trying to cuddle)

Total: $629.

Eeek! Not looking good for my savings!