Are there things that you just have a weakness for at a store?

It's terrible when I go into a Whole Foods market because they always put the journals and candles right when you walk in. I spend so much money on candles it's disgusting.

I don't even burn half of them because they are "too pretty."

I'm a sucker for packaging, and if something smells good, I'll buy it. I don't care. I'll put anything in my cart that's on clearance, convincing myself that I'm saving myself money.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

Answers

I cheerfully impulse-shopped this weekend, but since I have no money, I did so at garage and rummage sales. Final tally: 9 items of clothing, 2 books, a fish necklace, and a goofy Hallmark reindeer, for (drumroll) $8.75.

If I had money and impulse-shopped at real stores, I would go nuts for notebooks (both cute journals and ye olde basic college-ruled kind), stuffed animals, and books. Not clothes. I never buy clothes new, because if I spent $30 on a shirt and I hated the way it looked on me the first time I wore it, I'd never let myself live it down.

But used books are my number-one impulse buy.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

I'm horrible when it comes to shopping. You'd think that I'd be able to just walk into a store, get what I need and leave, right? Noooo!!

Usually I walk in and have to see what else is there. Not to buy anything, just to look around. But there always ends up being 5 things that I must have. None of these are things that I need or can actually use in any way, I just must have it even it it's only because it would look nice collecting dust on a shelf somewhere.

Then I usually stand there for about 5 minutes wondering what it was that I went to the store for in the first place.

Then I remember and walk over to it and on the way there, I find 3 more items of crap that I just must have. By the time that I make it to the item that I needed, I don't have any more money to buy it now. So, I don't buy it.

Then, once I get home, I remember why I needed that original item so much to have gone out for it, but it's too late - I have no money and the store is closed.

This is why some people should never be allowed to do their own shopping!

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

I'm horrible when it comes to cds and books. And now thanks to Borders and Barnes & Noble, I can satisfy both urges in one single store. Gee thanks guys.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

I'm totally seduced by the packaging and the sell. It's probably a good thing that I don't have any room on my credit card, or Ron Popeil would be loving me.

This weekend I was out buying gifts (for Pamie, actually) and I went nuts. There were just so many cute things I couldn't resist. I went into a friends store to get a box to mail the stuff off in, and I wound up buying even more. I'd tell you what, but it would ruin the surprise.

Prior to that I was on the hunt for a black tank top to wear to an event next week. I'm on a major reduced budget, but that didn't stop me from buying the tank, a cute pink t-shirt and a bathing suit. Peh.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

Underwear stores (Victoria's Secret, Fredrick's), Barnes and Noble, cd stores and imports stores are my weakness. If there are a bunch in one vicinity, say in a mall, I'll look around all the stores, keeping in mind what I liked at each and promising myself to come back (so I don't buy one thing and later find that I don't have enough money for something else I want at a different store). But the stores close because I took too long and I go home with nothing :(

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

oh dear god. this weekend was THE impulse shopping weekend. at (da-da-TA) target. i went in there for a plastic, file-holding tub. i came out with : 1) one travel make-up bag, black; one of those stand-uppy types with the holders for bottles and stuff. usually they're covered in flowers or stripes or gold zippers. this one was just black with silver zippers, nothing else. so of course i had to have it. 2)hair accessories : a. clear hair elastics - like rubber bands, only they don't rip you're hair at all! it's incredible. and you don't have to worry about wearing a flaming yellow hair elastic with black clothes. (am i a freak for even thinking about that sort of thing?) b. 2 sets of mini-bobby pins --> half the size of regular ones and with 3x the gripping power. fantastic for my fine hair! didn't come out all day. c. 3 packs self-hold rollers --> for those days when i actually get up early enough to do something with my hair (and yes, i never get up early enough so this was a really dumb purchase) 3. one dark red beach hat - with big old hibiscus flowers in white on it. typical sort of j.crew type fishing hat - but cheaper and a bit more interesting. like i'll ever wear it. i never wear the khaki one i bought there last year... wow writing all this down makes me feel pretty lame. I'm sure there was more but I can't think of it now... that place is a trap. What's worse though : Shopper's Drug Mart (canadian drugstore chain) or it's equivalant here - like Drug Emporium or Rite Aid. Oh man. I'm totally a sucker for new for-very-dry-skin creams - especially if there's some sort of redesigned bottle. And of course random hair-products. Any kind. I hardly ever use them. I have tons of cute little clips and pins and they just sit in a bowl on my make-up table. And new shampoos. I'm always trying new shampoos. And soaps. Oh yeah. Soaps are good. And MUGS! I LOVE MUGS! I drink a lot of tea, so I'm big on cool, funky mugs. I am personally keeping Starbucks mug production in business. *sigh* ok i know there is more but i'm going to stop now. jk

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

My boyfriend and I are constantly going into the grocery store for "Just one thing.." and about 60 dollars later we get home with that "One" thing and about 20 other things that we didn;t need, but looked good at the time.

My latest weekeness has been e-bay. I just learned that I can get Mary's Moo Moos (the cutest little figuringes around) on there...woo hoo! :) I've bid on 6, gotten 3, and have received some really sideways looks from my boyfriend when I ask for his credit card :)

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

i'm very extreme when it comes to shopping. if i go somewhere like tar-jay... i just load anything that looks pretty in my cart. i'm a sucker for tar-jay socks. they are so cute, i just cant resist. i pick up each pair thinking "look how cute this is, and it's *only* $1.99, i must get four!" forgetting that $1.99 really adds up.

if i'm at a mall, i usually find that *one* thing i must have, then proceed to walk around the store for 45 minutes talking myself out of it. then i leave the store and the mall, only to regret my decision 3 days later when i'm still whining at my boyfriend about that cool 'click' bra from victoria secret or that beautful set of imported bowls from pottery barn. =/

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

Target is the worst. It is utterly impossible for my husband and I to get out of that store for under $100. We always *need* 15 things that aren't on our list of 1) toothpaste and 2) toilet paper. The lotion, bath and hair supplies always do me in. Me - putting bottles of lotion in cart. Husband - "Didn't you buy 3 bottles last time we were here?" me - "Yes, but this is *kiwi passionfruit banana* scented. I NEED it." Fortunately, he needs all sorts of things from Target also, so we just spend a lot, and neither one of us feel guilty about our extravagance because the other person spent a ton too.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

What goes through Mike's head at the Discounted Books section of Barnes & Noble:

... gardening... gardening... gardening... big bin of heavily discounted Rush Limbaugh books... Ha! Just what that arrogant bag of wind deser... Hey! The Pretentious Blow-Hard's Guide to Seducing Chicks? $3.98 Hardcover? So this is the information I've been missing all along! As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again!

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

office supply stores are my weakness. walking through staples or office depot, i'm in awe of all the things that i KNOW i NEED to make my life organized. all the neat little gadgets, my latest was a upright standing stapler-very cool. and beauty supply stores. i'm terrible, walking down all the aisles, i'll buy lipsticks i don't need just because i have a coupon...and i'll wear it once, it's so silly, i so rarely wear lipstick because it's a hazard (i usually get it on my clothes, it smears on my face, other peoples faces) but i have like 50 tubes & glosses, and most are similar colors. and i keep getting more! somebody stop me.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 1999

I recently derailed my impulsive clothing-buying into impulsive 99- cent nailpolish buying, to save dough. However I have NO control over my book buying. I spent 40 dollars yesterday on books because work was slow and I was walking past the college bookstore after lunch and wanted to read at my desk. new books are too expensive, dammit!

-- Anonymous, June 08, 1999

im not sure where this would fit in, its sort of an obsession sort of an impulse. bath and body works!! oh yeah!! the playground for smelly weird girls like me, yumm... i love it, i could stay there for hours, we just got one in the mall by my house so now i dont have to drive 45 mins to get to one, like i used to. but man oh man, its a big smell fest. i could look and smell and try and play all day. and now they have cosmetics!! oh fun fun fun. i always drag my friends in and while im sure none of you care, i make them all smell pretty and look nice too, even my guy friends. its just soo fun, usually about an hour after i've dragged my friends in there they drag me out kicking and screaming, or i skip out with a big grin on my face happy as a clam with my new smelly purchase. yay yay yay!!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 1999