Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Imaginary Shopping

OK, so there's a little Internet past-time that I love.


I like to call it...imaginary shopping.


Here's what you do.

Go to your favorite website. It can be clothing or home furnishings or whatever would be fun to purchase but you totally can't afford.

Key word: WOULD be fun to purchase.

My personal favorites are here and here and here.

After getting to your favorite site, the fun begins. You simply shop. Put outfits together, plan a room, dream away. No need to look at prices either...fabulous, no?

Each time you just click "Add to shopping bag/cart"

When finished, you get to look at all your "purchases" and admire what a great shopper you are. Then...

you leave. Do not proceed to the "checkout" button. THAT button must be avoided at all costs. Do not checkout. It's not part of the game.

I will not be held personally responsible if you, lets say, CHEAT and purchase something.

See! No money spent...and placing those finds in your imaginary shopping bag feels, if just for a moment, like they were yours.

I know what you're thinking..."it's just not the same"...I know, I know. BUT, it is really helpful in figuring out what you really truly like...what your style is. So maybe, just maybe, when you find a cheap inexpesive knockoff somewhere, you'll totally know what to do with it ;)

Now...go enjoy... *smiles*

Seriously...how weird am I that I really think this is fun!?! :) Weird-O

26 comments:

  1. From wierdo to another, i was SO gonna blog about this this week myself! I guess great minds just think alike huh?

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  2. Sarah, I LOVE to do this! You picked two of my favorites, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids. Some of my others are See Jane Work (for cool office organization stuff) and, of course, Amazon. :) Great post!

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  3. From one weird-o to another! Have a great day :}

    Hugs!

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  4. I do this all the time! I keep telling myself, someday I'll be able to afford to go to the checkout :) It's gonna be awhile!

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  5. I am a major imaginary shopper! I even do it in real stores. Fill the basket with things and then decide I don't need it, gradually unloading it by the time I get to the register. That way it's not so much that I CAN'T afford it, I just choose not to buy it. :)
    I especially like shopping at stores I can't afford, or stores where I can totally rack up on inexpensive stuff. Like Anthropologie and Forever 21. :)
    This is really one of my favorite time-wasters. ;)

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  6. I like to do that with Pottery Barn magazines too. What would I buy if I could buy this stuff and where would it fit in my house?... :)
    Sister-In-Law Megan
    (I have to sign at the bottom since I don't have a blogger identity)

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  7. Talk about egging on temptation! Good disclaimer, though you should say:

    "Life in the Parsonage will not be held responsible for any accidental pressing on the checkout button, or the keying in of your financial information, the selecting of a shipping method, or any commitment to an order. We will not be held liable for any purchases or buyers remorse." - From my legal department.

    :)

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  8. SO, thanks for admitting to doing those things which we all do but think we are the only ones. Now we don't feel so lonely.
    *SMILE*

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  9. Crack me up that ya'll do this too!! WHO KNEW?!?

    hmmm...what other weird things do I do that I think only I do?!?! (did you follow that :)

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  10. I've never done this but it sounds so fun!

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  11. Though I haven't yet done the online version of shopping. I have been known to sit down with a catalog and a little stack of post-its. I say, ok just for fun...as if money is no object, I'm allowed to chose 50 items from this catalog and I go to town. Lots of fun dreaming and costs nothing! Your version sounds fun, too! = )

    Happy shopping,
    Tracy

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  12. Ok, maybe it is a little weird but I think I am gonna give it a try. These days that is the only shopping I can afford!

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  13. I totally agree on your imaginary shopping choices, and I would add Williams Sonoma. I like to imaginary cook as much as I like to imaginary shop. If only real life shopping and cooking were as much fun!

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  14. You are not weird AT ALL - I do this all the time!

    What makes it even better is after your imaginary-expensive shopping trip, you go out and find an item similar to what you deleted for cheap!

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  15. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME!!! i go a step further and save the shopping bag to my favs "for when I have more money" then wait till the items are all gone (out of stock) and out of my shopping cartand then i think oh well, i guess i did not get rich soon enough.

    sick sick sick sick I know!

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  16. Polka Dots. I heart polka dots.

    I have a thrifty mind, though.....if I see something I adore, I think of the best way to do it for little to nothing. Then my rooms end up half-finished. lol, so I can't come out to play today! But that red and pink polka dotted room just made me BURST with ideas! Not sure my hubby would sleep in a pink and red polka dotted bed.....

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  17. I love to imaginary shop (and real shop too...yikes!) But, this post cracked me up because I actually have stuff in the Walmart online shopping cart right now. That's not weird...just smart shopping! And, my husband never gets mad about it!

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  18. Sarah, you are so funny!

    What a great idea for being able to look for knockoff or inexpensive versions of PB. Thanks for the tips.

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  19. Sarah -

    In addition to pretending that I have unlimited amounts of money can I pretend that I'm a size 8 again???? Pretty please??

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  20. And there's me, your most annoying BFF, who does it in the actually store. Take forever making a decision on something(because I'm the most indecisive girl on the planet)... eventually put it in my cart... walk around the store for hours... and then right before check out time... put it back. Or worse yet give it to the check out lady and tell her that I decided against it. This typically happens on almost all our shopping trips together and you still love me. I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS MY FRIEND! I ask you... who's the WEIRD-O!

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  21. I do not trust myself not to hit the checkout button!

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  22. I am so glad I'm not the only one! I think the key is to not log in, so when you go to another window the info is lost and you aren't tempted to press the "checkout" button. :)

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  23. I like to do that too. I thought I was the only one. Great minds think alike. Blessings.

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  24. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME!!!!

    So fun!

    So satisfying.

    So budget-friendly.

    More importantly, it's the only way I can shop these days.

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