Shop Until You Drop

"I'm sick of being made to feel like if only I had a little bit more crap, my life would be complete"

I got that quote from the video below by The Resident. How about you, have you ever feel completed emotionally when you buy things? Feeling established when you have the latest iPhone 4 when you already had iPhone 3? Feeling so good owning pairs of Melissa shoes while the fact is those plastic shoes kinda hurt your feet? Well, I have. Here I admit it. I am a shopaholic. I felt completed once I bought some killer shoes, while my old shoes are still in perfect condition. I feel happy after buying pretty clothes to fill in my closet. And I feel good every time I bought cute analog cameras while the fact I rarely use it. It's not because of pride or anything, but simply because I feel emotionally completed once I own stuff, err... craps. That is why, my biggest fear is having my own credit card. I actually have two credit cards from different banks, but I only use it for emergency needs. I try to control my mind that I do not own any credit card so I won't shop like a mad woman. I guess this method worked, because I rarely use those credit cards.

So how do I manage my money?

Up until this moment, I have 5 bank accounts with different needs. One of it is for pleasure, includes shopping. And yes, I do spare special budget for pleasure. I guess, that is just one way for me to enjoy life. I'm still in a process of learning to be a smart shopper. Lately, I'm applying the theory of needs and wants. Before buying craps, there's a few simple questions I'm asking myself; "How much do I want this thing?", "Is it worth to buy for?", "Can I use this thing in any different occasion?" or "Do I really need it?".

It might sounds simple but it's so hard to apply in real life. Some people find it difficult to differentiate between need and want though. That's what happened to me. After watching the video below, let's see how would you react. As for me, I felt like someone slapped me in the face. Ouch.