The Stars and the Urge to Splurge

Being able to relax is vitally important in today’s busy world. Some people do this by gardening, watching television, or listening to music, but in a time when almost anything we want is available at the push of a button many people still relax by going shopping one way or another. Most often they might just sit down with a laptop and browse in an on-line store, though if the nearest mall hasn’t yet been turned into a parking lot or an apartment complex, they can do it the old-fashioned way by strolling around window shopping, or going into a store here and there to check out real goods that they can touch and feel. Either way, shopping is still shopping.

It is, though, more than just a way to relax, as for many people it can be a kind of therapy, a way to boost their spirits when they are feeling lonely, anxious, or depressed. However, shopping can sometimes morph from a temporary cure for what ails us into an actual addiction. I once read a story entitled “Clothes,” written by the late Queen of Crime, Ruth Rendell. It was in , a 1995 collection of short stories. In this story, a woman becomes so addicted to shopping that she doesn’t even wear