Confessions of a Hostie: A Shopper's Guide to the USA

By Danielle Hugh

The USA is the consumer capital of the world – big, bold, blatant consumerism. God bless America!
Writer of the bestselling ‘Confessions of a Hostie (True Stories of an International Flight Attendant)’ series, Danielle Hugh, takes us on an entertaining journey through America’s retail wonderland.
With over 20 years of flying around The U.S., and of course shopping, Danielle shares her passion, tips, and bargain-hunting stories.
Danielle notes that most girls learn to cook, but few learn to shop. Guess which activity we spend more time doing?
Her witty insights and helpful advice will help get the best out of our favorite past-time and nowhere else on the planet has the shopping choices like America.
So pack an extra suitcase, fasten your seatbelt, dust off the credit cards... and let’s go shopping.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Danielle Hugh
• Release date: Jul 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310439827

Danielle Hugh

Danielle Hugh has over 20 years of globetrotting around the world as an International Flight Attendant and is an adventurous traveler in her free time. Always a keen observer of people and situations around her; a natural progression is to write observational humor. Danielle describes writing the ‘Confessions of a Flight Attendant’ series as “an absolute joy. When a flight is delayed and the rest of the crew are grumbling; I grab a latte, turn on my computer, and type frantically. I love it. There is no such thing as a wasted moment when you are passionate about something.”

Book preview

Confessions of a Hostie – A Shopper’s Guide to the USA

By Danielle Hugh

Copyright Danielle Hugh, 2014

Smashwords Edition

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

CONTENTS:

God bless America

Money can only buy happiness if you shop for the right thing

Shopping is cheaper than therapy

Living out of a suitcase is still living

A girl’s bathroom is a shrine to consumerism

Shopping across the U.S. is buy and large the same

If you ‘shop til you drop’, wear comfortable shoes

If the shoe fits, buy it in every color

I should have shares in Starbucks

Some girls have a black belt in shopping

Two things can change a gal’s mood: ‘I love you’ and a 75% discount

God bless America

The average American woman spends over eight years of her life shopping. That’s eight whole years; based on every minute of every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We spend far less time cooking, yet most kitchens are full of ‘how to cook’ recipe books. I know mine is, yet I do not own one ‘how to shop’ book or even a pamphlet. We are not taught how to shop - and we should be. Just as some are better cooks than others, the same can be said about shoppers. In saying that, most girls would rather shop than cook.

I am one such gal.

I’ve spent over 20 years in and out of shopping malls and department stores around the world thanks to my job as an international flight attendant. My job is not to shop, but my passion is. The consumer capital of the world is undoubtedly the United States of America – big, bold, blatant consumerism.

God bless America!

Any girl who has spent a day strolling Fifth Avenue in New York or been in Macy’s on one of those once a year sale days (which happen substantially more than once a year) will attest that America is a shopper’s dream.

How could you not love it?

As an international flight Attendant I am surrounded by retail heaven – and not just in the destinations we visit. Most international airports have duty-free shops. There is nothing nicer than warming up for an overseas shopping adventure with a little retail therapy before even leaving the country. Duty free shops are the perfect prelude. They are not always as cheap as one would expect, but like most other retail institutions on the planet; duty free shops also have sales. Time can be your enemy shopping at an airport, but where there is a shopping will, there is often a shopping way.

The size of the international terminal will generally determine the number of shops. I’ve also found the newer the terminals; the more shops there are. To give an example: the old sections of LAX (LA International Airport) are not as commercially-friendly as the new wings. LAX has just opened a new section and it is fantastic; food courts, Starbucks around every corner, and some great retail shops. If you have the time to shop before or after a flight it pays to do quick Internet searches of the airport in question before you leave.

When flying to an international destination there are usually shops before you takeoff, typically inflight duty free available during the flight, and there are normally more shops when