My Shopaholic Confession

Hi My name is Lace and I'm a Shopaholic!

Shopping at The Venetian in Macau

There’s something about carrying a posh shopping bag on my right hand. Actually, I slip their delicate handles to hang on my right elbow as I turn the hallways of a mall into a runway. Magically, the shopping bags make me feel taller and safer from the prying looks of lipstick jungle’s inhabitants. How could a 19 year old college student afford to shop every week just to feed this fetish of hanging shopping bags on her elbow?

Shopaholic's Closet

Blame it on the college fair when a super hip music video channel tied up with a bank that’s just across the university. Everyone in my class was given a form and in less than a week, I had a shiny magic plastic card to feed my shopping frenzy.

Suddenly, my shopping bags had more popular names and they became a staple to my everyday outfit. I will never go on a date without stopping by a boutique to complete my outfit. The boys I dated grew fond of my shopping addiction and they said they found it “cute”.

Shopping carts ready at Singapore's Duty Free!

Shiny plastic card and I became best friends reaching shopping destinations like Singapore and Bangkok where I acquired International shopping bags from almost all the shopping malls in Orchard road. My closet and room was filled with piles of clothes, bags, accessories and gifts that I intended to give in some unknown occasions.

12 midnight, flea market in Bangkok, Thailand

Though my friendship with shiny plastic card was expensive, I skipped lunch and snacks just to keep it alive and kicking with credit. I sold clothes to relatives but annual fees are so much more expensive. My shopaholic days were counted and days passed when my outfit was missing its centerpiece- the shopping bag. I had to say good bye to my best friend and ritually cut it in half like a broken-heart. This also happened when I was in the middle of reading Sophie Kinsella’s first book – Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Signal no. 5 in Hongkong won't keep me away from Louis Vuitton!

Yet, I still received letters from shiny plastic card reminding me to pay BILL. Breaking up with a credit card can be so agonizing! I promised myself never to retain credit again but save so I can shop with a peace of mind.

I learned so much from being a shopaholic and opened up a blog called Pinay Money Maker to help other recovering shopaholics veer away from excessive use of credit cards and to focus on saving. Being a shopaholic also pushed me on how to become stylish sans the debt and become more creative when it comes to fashion. This is one of the reasons why I also opened the Style and Relax blog. Being a shopaholic has never been this so enlightening!

Catch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!