Shopping—A Social Affair or a Solo Gig?

Many times, men are baffled as to why women love to shop so much. And it’s understandable why they would be confused. Every man I’ve ever shopped with goes inexplicably morose and lethargic the second he steps into a mall.

Yet what men often fail to realize is that shopping is in large part social networking. There’s just something alluring about tooling around the mall with your good friends. But is it always fun and games? Or to put it directly, should you shop with your friends?

Anyone that answers with a resounding “yes” would probably argue that it’s more fun to shop with someone else. And, granted, that’s true. But what about all the downsides?

Shopping with friends can quickly lead to serious delays…like you look down at your watch and realize it’s already 5 PM kind of delays. And that’s not bad in and of itself, but you should always be aware that shopping with others is going to slow you down. If you have the whole day to devote to shopping and hanging out, it shouldn’t be a problem. But if you think you’re going to shop for “just a few hours” and head home, think again.

Shopping with friends can also lead to irrational decisions that seriously deplete your wallet. Yes, those friends are fun to shop with, but they also cause you to spend more money than you would have alone. While we tend to show some restraint by ourselves, it’s hard to pass on an item after hearing gushing reviews and a chorus of “you look so cute!” Also, when you’re with other people, you’re much more likely to buy something…anything in fact…just so you don’t feel like the day was wasted.

So if you’re in a serious rush or want to cut back on spending, perhaps the mall is not the best place to be spending time with friends. This is not to say cutting mall time out of your schedule completely is necessary, but just be aware when it might be beneficial to fly solo.

by Liz Herrin

Comments

[Meieli]

I know, Liz--I'll never forget shopping with my friend in Montreal. We were in the mall for six hours looking for one pair of socks (her dad's present). It's sometimes better to head out on your own when looking for specialty gifts.