This week, while the American people are heralding the dawn of a new era, I will document the success of one of my own. For when Barack Obama takes his oath of office (or whatever it’s called, I am not politically minded enough to know) at this week’s inauguration, amidst the beats of ‘Hail to the Chief’, I will be getting musical to the not dissimilar tune of Hail to the Cheap, voicing my success at sticking to the budget I set myself upon the new era ushered in by 2009.
I deserve to sing about this because I am, by my own admission, and according to the description of others, a Shopaholic. I have no consumer boundaries. I will shop anywhere, at any time, with anyone or anything. This includes hospital gift shops (when I am visiting sick relatives/friends); the dentist (whatever oral care he has must surely be the best?) and of course, online. I have gotten death stares from the mail room people at work, because I am constantly receiving parcels from my web-shopping adventures.
I don’t limit myself to fashion either, as many a girl does. I am seduced by anything I have to pay money for in exchange for taking it home. I was 19 when I saw a blue pasta strainer at Homeart and decided I had to have it, much to the dismay of my mother and the shock of my friends. Since then I have frequented many a home wares store or aisle, and amassed the likes of baby pink cake stands, shaped cookie cutters (despite the fact that I already know my shapes and have no little children I need to teach them to) a bag to bake my Christmas ham in (I’ve never baked a Christmas ham, nor has anyone in my family, but at least we have an ingredient for the process now, right?), leopard print Turkish coffee cups, a cheese grater (it looked so revolutionary), an elephant tea pot, and a wine cooler.
Stores, stalls and supermarkets are to me what a high is to a drug addict. I own thousands of dollars worth of designer handbags, including ones from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and YSL, but I am just as proud of them as I am of my $4 purse from the Asian junk store. I like to think that I Shop, therefore I am.
But when my significant other suggested I set a budget for 2009 so that I can afford the repayments on our impending mortgage, I knew there was a challenge to be had. Could I get used to living life on the cheap? This was not a sacrifice I was prepared to make for anyone, but I guess that’s why we call them significant others. We’re prepared to go the distance for them, with no recognition of our own discomfort.
So I made a whole lot of purchases on New Years Eve, bought myself a special shopping purse, and developed my system. Each fortnight when I got paid, I would devote $100 to the shopping fund. If there was nothing in there, I couldn’t buy anything. I knew that it would be hard, and I would have to embrace the lay-by. But shoppers are competitors (have you seen us at sale time?) and I wanted to step up to the challenge.
It’s been almost three weeks and I am going strong. Of course, I am still buying the essentials like groceries and chocolate, but everything else has taken a back seat. I’ve resorted to making expense lists, and asking myself many a time if I really need it. My desk at work has pictures of Country Road shoes, leather jackets and Chanel Ballet flats hanging off of it, in an attempt to make me feel as though if I could stare at them for so long, I could believe I owned them.
I visited a shoe store yesterday and fell in love with a pair of tan shoes. On sale, with a stacked heel and a little peep toe. Classic and classy, they had my name all over them. But then I thought of the boy I loved saving all his pennies at the expense of his most beloved car, so that we can make ourselves a home and I knew I had to let them go: because once upon a time another hunky American president asked “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. If we’re living in an era where Americans can elect an African American to the highest office in the land, then we’re living in an era where a woman can ask not what her partner can do for her, but what she can do for her and her partner. After all, I also work, therefore I am. And I can contribute to my future.
Still, I’d like to thank the stores for making the process a little easier. I walked past a Sportsgirl the other 
day and they had shiny royal blue leggings on the mannequin. It’s enough many a woman (sadly of all shapes and sizes, not just the slender ballerina physique) thinks leggings are pants (Read: THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE NOT!) but now they have brought them out in shiny primary colours like blues and reds and God knows what else. Surely when we criticised Li-lo for wearing them too much (and then, sigh, releasing her own range of them) we were on the awareness trail that they simply had to go. But alas, evidently not.
So I guess if fashion keeps going in its very wrong direction (some of those platform shoes and gladiator gear really have to go) living life on the cheap could be a lot easier than I anticipated. Sure, there are those much desired Country Road shoe boots at stake, but at least I know that by exchanging a few pairs (okay, many pairs, among other things) for the home I plan to make my life in, it will be worth it.
Besides, when you shop on the cheap, you’re a lot more aware of the more expensive things in life. Like love’s powerful ability to make sure that you put tan stacked peep toes with a ticketed sale price back on the rack and keep walking towards the dream home with the dream man.
So let’s hail to the cheap while American’s hail to the chief. After all, love is still going to be hot fashion even when coloured leggings, shoe boots and platforms are not.
Delightful images courtesy of:
Cover image of money in wallet by Martin Kingsley on Flickr
Obama mural by EricaJoy on Flickr
Piggy Bank by _ES on Flickr
Leggings by Idhren on Flickr
when are you going to include me in one of your fancy articles?
Great ideas.