Sunday, March 19, 2006

Just Say No to the Mall

The mall is an evil place. Walking into a mall is like walking into a vortex where your money is sucked straight out of your wallet, or even worse, money you don't have is charged to a credit card.

O.k. Maybe I am being a little dramatic in saying that the mall is evil, but I definitely feel there is something sinister about a mall. The mall has a way of casting a spell over me while I am there. Things that I didn't even know existed are all of a sudden a necessity and my entire wardrobe seems helplessly shabby and outdated in comparison to the fresh new styles on the racks of countless stores. I lose all sense of rationality and my old mantra of "You only live once" creeps back into my mind and I feel tempted to go on a wild shopping spree. This is why I now avoid the mall at all costs!

You see, I think a lot of Americans end up in debt out of sheer boredom. Go to the mall on any day of the week, especially Saturday and Sunday, and you will find throngs of people filling the malls, fighting over parking spaces and bumping into each other with their baby strollers. Why are they there? Surely all of these people don't need to be there. I think many of them just can't find anything better to do than to hang out at the mall and grab a Cinnabon or a hot dog on a stick. And while they are there passing the time, they end up spending money that don't have on things that they don't need.

I remember every Saturday my grandma and her sister would go to the mall. It was a sort of ritual they had. Rain or shine, regardless of whether they needed anything or not, we would all go to the mall and then go out to lunch afterwards. It's only now that that strikes me as bizarre.

I rarely go to the mall anymore and I've found that my desire for things in general has dropped considerably. For the most part I am content with what I have and can resist emotional or impulsive spending. Sure there are times when I feel the need for something new but its much easier to resist when I am far, far away from the mall.

So if you are in debt or are trying to save money, stay away from the mall. I suggest having a healthy fear of the mall. Think of it: rabid frenzied women pushing you out of the way to get to the big sale, no parking, bad food, and worst of all...money being sucked right out of your bank account, never to be seen again. Not my idea of a good time!

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely, A prison with advertisements... or an advertiser's paradise- captured prey!

Last time I was in a mall, I felt claustriphobic.

Anonymous said...

That was a great post. I will try to fear the shopping mall more often. I don't go very often at all. I am more the individual store type gal. They can be just as bad.

Anonymous said...

You're absolutely right. People got to the mall because they are bored. Period. Think of how much people could accomplish if they volunteered their time, read books, created a budget, finished home improvement projects, exercised or played with their kids when they were bored on Saturday instead of walking through the mall...

Madame X said...

"out of sheer boredom"

that is so true. sad but true.

if only people would just go to the library instead, or did some exercise, or volunteer work. whoops, I see I am basically repeating what debt hater said.

anyway, great post.

Cap said...

the only reason why I'm at the mall is because I'm dragging somewhere there to return some crap they bought.