I Have Been Guilty of Shopping Under the Influence

A few weeks ago, my BFF Rachel and I went to Barneys in Beverly Hills. We were there for her – as she was on a mission – for a pair of shoes.  We stopped by the shoe salon first, so introductions could be made; yet, before she sealed the deal, we decided to lunch.

After a meal of yummy salads and a few glasses of vino at Villa Blanca, we made our way back to BNY. Now, I was just Rachel’s wing man, with no plan nor a budget to splurge on a decadent pair of shoes; however, a pair of Fendi wedges kept calling my name.

We made the rounds to Saks Fifth Avenue just to make sure we got a visual on all the options out there, but ended up back at Barneys.  By then, the euphoria of my wine buzz was beginning to wan and after a phone call to my husband – who reluctantly gave me the green light – ruined my thrill. 

Reason and a clear head spoiled my spontaneity and I went home empty handed; Although, I haven’t always been so lucky and have several SUIs under my belt. 

This has everything to do with drinking, and nothing to do with driving...but rather shopping.

 At other times, I have caused some serious damage while Shopping Under the Influence (SUI) although it mostly takes place at home – behind closed doors – and the Internet is the weak link.

Online shopping makes this possible because we can shop on our own time.  For me, it is when my husband is out and I’ve put the kiddo to bed, a few glasses of Sauvignon Blanc while searching the Net and suddenly my cart is full.

 
I am not so bad that I don’t remember making the purchases; it just seems that when they arrive, they don’t look quite as good as I remembered them to be from my online spree or they are ill-fitting.

One of the main reasons that I don’t typically like to make big ticket purchases online is that there is just too much room for error.  And some Internet retailers make returning online purchases a bitch to reduce big return rates which can drag down profits.

My most recent online purchase – those dreamy “IT” boots that I found for the fall – arrived at my home after a liberal click on the buy button after a few libations.  The boots, which looked so hot online, were such a disappointment that, after a month, they are still sitting in the box in my office waiting for me to either return them online or in the store directly.  I can honestly say that I don’t want them, but I better do something fast so I am not forced to own them.

I am willing to bet that most online retailers are hoping that will happen with online purchases. I would even venture to say that they are “banking” on SUIs.

While researching this post, one topic that kept coming up was that a lot of individuals – mostly women – are addicted to both shopping and alcohol. Hmmmmm, could that be moi?

Seriously, substance-related, compulsive shopping is a very grave problem.  It can go hand-and-hand with eating disorders, alcohol and/or substance-abuse, as well as depression.

I mean, I am not clinically-depressed; however, I would be lying if I said that sometimes going out and shopping absolutely lifts my spirits.  And, on the same note, I can say that sometimes having a little spending binge can actually leave me feeling a bit guilty and depressed within itself.

Experts urge that if anyone suspects that they have a substance-related, compulsive shopping habit, to seek help. 

Lucky for me, I don’t fall into that category; But I can tell you that after each SUI hang-over I swear I won’t ever do it again, but my closet continues to runneth over.