An Incompatible Combination of Student and Shopaholic

I’m pretty sure many of us girls have opened our wardrobe, stared at our abundance of clothes, and thought “I have nothing to wear!” Much like returning to a fridge full of food that you just don’t want to eat, you re-open that wardrobe and seethe frustratingly at the sheer amount of clothing that you own, but just don’t want to wear anymore. This calls for one thing… shopping spree!

But, there is another problem – I’m a student, and a student’s lifestyle does not call for regular shopping trips. I should be following Gok Wan’s mantra of owning only 24 items of clothing that you can mix and match. But, to be honest, I don’t have the time to count the amount of items I own in between my incessant shopping trips.

Don't look at me like that Gok - IT'S ON SALE!

It definitely doesn’t help that we have West Quay down the road. Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Urban Outfitters scream for my attention and I just can’t resist. I could swear sometimes a physical force pulls me in; my feet often just find themselves changing direction. But now this is when skill becomes a key part of student shopping: bargain hunting. Miss Selfridge is nice enough to allow student discount even on sale items, and if you search around in Primark enough you can find a hidden gem every now and then. Time and dedication is vital. Bring equally dedicated shopping partners otherwise you’ll feel the pressure to impulse buy to avoid their complaints while you’re faffing around in the sale rack.

That brings us to the most detrimental of all shopping habits – impulse buying.

Beware! I have regrettably committed this crime many times and now own several items of tagged clothing that have never been worn. I don’t care if your boyfriend has used up all of his phone’s battery completing a whole Angry Bird’s season waiting for you while you speculate and scrutinize in the fitting room, you make sure that dress is worth spending your week’s food shopping allowance on.

Feel like home

As I am a self-confessed shopaholic I am particularly nervous about the festive season that we’re being thrown into. As much as I love buying pretty things for myself, I can’t help but over-spend on presents as well.

Recently, while I was shopping for my mum’s present, those annoying sales pests that work for the beauty range in the middle of West Quay managed to make me part with a hefty sum just so my mum can add a nice shine to her nails. Watch out for these predators, they will bedazzle you at first with their alarmingly impressive products, and then drop the bombshell of a ridiculous price tag.

So to all my fellow student shopaholics, I wish you the best of luck searching for your bargain Christmas party attire and filling up that space under the tree!