I was lying at Bronte beach on the weekend, when my friend Clare confessed to being a “fantasy shopper”. And no, before you get any ideas about her racing into basement sex shops while she thinks nobody’s looking, she means that shopping – and purchasing items she shouldn’t – is her fantasy, usually carried out online in the office.
“How?!” was the obvious first question. Well, Clare goes to her favourite online stores – including Nordic Fusion and Peter’s of Kensington - fills her virtual shopping cart with the most expensive coffee machines, stunning homewares, and beautiful Finnish designer jewellery, then, feeling much more satisfied, empties the virtual shopping cart without making an actual purchase – and starts all over again at another store. “Why?!” was clearly my next question. Well, Clare said she just enjoys it – a bit of office escapism, and it is totally free. I scoffed, but went home from the beach, dusted off the sand, and jumped straight online – Tiffany, Amazon, Georg Jensen … I dreamed up stunning jewellery, a lifetime of good reading and stunning candelabra set seriously fit for royalty. And Clare’s right, it is fun. Maybe there’s a bit of a niggle when you realise you’re not actually going to GET the $3,000 fusion ring, but still, fun. Oh, and btw, you can totally choose size 6 stuff, and nobody knows whether it’ll fit or not! Oh, and I’ll take those super-skinny jeans in a tall size, thanks.
And not only is it fun, it is totally wise for the budget. Online shopping can be such a trap to fall into, especially because you almost always have to use your credit card to buy. Don’t let boredom at the office or a rainy weekend dictate that you’ll go online shopping today. A recent survey for ShopSmart magazine found that 35% of women who had recently made an impulse purchase regretted it – and we’re not talking about a pair of pantyhose here, with the average “impulse spend” sitting at around $108. So don’t impulse buy and then regret it – just fantasy shop and don’t feel a thing the next day! And use that money to pay off debt, too.
What’s your favourite fantasy shopping online destination? Do you “fantasy shop”?
Jess January 14, 2010 at 9:18 am
I do this ALL the time too! My busiest shopping carts are at Net-A-Porter, Outnet, Opening Ceremony, Barneys and of course Amazon… thankfully I rarely follow through with the fantasy!
Kelly. January 19, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Me to Jess – I like to put together outfits on Net-a-Porter that I could never afford/fit/wear and then email them to my friend who emails me back with what she would wear, kinda like a style-off!
jo January 19, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Ohhhh, and if I may put my 2 cents in here, totally free, right?!
Denise @ Raw Brides January 25, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I never thought about this – that’s a genius idea! And – if you believe in the law of attraction, then it’s good practice to visualise what you want.
One of my fav sites is My Virtual Model – http://www.mvm.com – you can make your own 3D avatar and then dress it up in clothes that you can actually buy. It’s brilliant that you can see it 360 – it’s scarily true to life and now I see what my butt looks like in bias cut dresses – not pretty – why didn’t anyone tell me before!
JoLoves: DIY Designer Shoes | Personal financial advice & tips for women February 16, 2010 at 7:06 am
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