Alternate Title: How I Want to Shop.

When I began the challenge, I have to admit it was on a lark. I thought I could contribute to the ordeal (too harsh?) and show Di some solidarity by participating with her, though with the luxury of not being on camera.

I wanted to show Tim that I could successfully cease to buy new clothes. That was the easy part. The accessories, purses and shoes are a little more difficult for me. This is mostly because I prefer to window shop. I really enjoy looking at new clothes and on the lucky and rare occasion, I might see something really worth trying on. Usually it is something that I cannot afford anyway, and therefore I rarely purchase.

Working in a shopping mall, you tend to bond with the other employees in your neighbourhood. In my case, it was the staff at Le Chateau and The Gap. My shop has (in peak season) a staff of about sixteen women, and in the early months of my employment, about six of us shopped regularly at The Gap – our regular forays into the mall also meant that we had a constant stream of other staff giving us coupons for discounts and “friends and family” events. It also meant that there was an almost constant dialogue in the store about where the sales were happening and who found the best deals. We helped each other shop. Read more