#onlinemalls

Women love shopping. It's in our makeup. As little girls, most of us are fond of dressing up. As teenagers, we start learning to have our faces dolled up. As we grow older, the female trait of dressing and dolling up doesn't really disappear. We need to look good in order to feel good about ourselves.

The conventional shopping process a woman undergoes is like this: You enter the store. You see items that tickle your fancy – the fierce leopard print bag, those nude stilettos, the floral cotton dress. You feel excited about these pretty things and walk around the mall to look for other stuff. It’s up to you if you’re going to skip on the fitting room and the cashier’s counter. Either way, when you walk out of the store, you feel refreshed after an hour or two of window shopping. Blame it on the oxytocin, ladies.

Men aren’t that excited when shopping. In contrast, no woman would like to have their significant other whining or rushing them as they shop. That’s why there are provisions for seating in retail stores. They are designed to make sure that the tormented boyfriend/husband will be able to relax as his lady scouts the aisles of Forever21, Topshop, or H&M. Don’t even start about the anguish of having to chase down your kid on the store, aside from temper tantrums.

Oh yes, I’m talking from experience. LOL.

Gone are those days in this Information age. Today, you can go to “online department stores”. Of course nothing beats the experience of actually trying the item before purchasing. But you can enjoy the same rise in oxytocin at comfort of your home, with just a swipe and tap of a finger, or a click of a mouse without the dilemma of a complaining husband or fearing that your kid will run a mile away from you. Some sites offer an item filter feature: what designs are available for your size, a specific color of a blouse, even the price range!  You can purchase within a screen tap or a mouse click. And it will be delivered right into your doorstep. Easy!

Social media also enhanced the way we shop. Talk about the online shops scattered on Facebook and Instagram. Hashtags and SFS help a lot to find items and to acquire a larger market. With the help of cross platform messaging services such as Viber, Line or WhatsApp, buyers and sellers are able to enjoy smooth transactions.  Typically, this is how it goes:

The buyer contacts the seller and inquires about an item and its availability. When the seller gives a go signal, the buyer sends or fills up an order form.

The buyer pays through a designated bank or money wire transfer.

Once the money is wired, the buyer should send a photo of the deposit slip/transaction to the seller as proof of payment.

The seller sends the item through a courier, and may send you a waybill number, which will help the buyer track his item. Typically, it will be on your doorstep within a day or two.

  One piece of advice, however, ladies. TAKE IT EASY ON THE SPENDING. Here are some tips from me on controlling the urge to indulge in an online shopping spree.

“The borrower is a slave to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7). Don’t make your credit card your best friend. It’s nice to have good things once in a while, but it would be better to make do with less than to obligate oneself by borrowing. You may wholeheartedly think that you deserve new shoes, but will you also wholeheartedly accept that you deserve debt?

Let time pass. Wants are limitless. Regardless of whether you buy the item or not - sooner or later, a new item will excite you. Or the item you want may go on sale.

Prioritize needs over wants. Ask yourself: “Do I really need this? Can I get away without having it? Do I have the budget for this? How much will be left? Will it be better if I just save this?” Repeat for not less than 100 times. Or until you have moved on.

Don’t let advertising delude you. That is why the term “shoeporn” exists. It’s basically a picture that is designed to stimulate your shopping appetite.

  Second blog post, done! Enjoy shopping!