Yesterday Pam and I hit up the Ala Moana Shopping Centre here in Hawaii. Despite a crap exchange rate that only got 70 US cents for every Aussie dollar we forked over before we left, Mum and I did our bit for the Hawaiian economy and came back to the hotel carrying our fair share of bags.
On the short taxi ride home I said to mum that the headache I’d had since we arrived in Hawaii had finally gone. She looked at me and said, “Well of course it has. Shopping fixes everything!”
I asked her if she could share her shopping tips with us all and much to my surprise, she said yes! I also asked if I get a photo of Pam with her shopping bags and you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when she also agreed to that one too. Obviously she was one some sort of post-shopping high, because she’s usually quite shy when it comes to appearing on the blog!
So here we go with Pam’s shopping tips. I hope you find them as useful as I have during the last 42 years of my life 😉
1. Dress For Comfort and Speed. You need to be able to whip your outfit on and off in a changing room quickly, especially if there’s a sale on, so keep accessories to a minimum and wear clothes that are breathable. Nobody likes a sweaty customer in their shop.
2. A cross over handbag is essential. It means you’ve always got two hands spare, which speeds up the selection process and makes flicking through racks a lot easier.
3. Wear comfortable shoes. You would usually see me wearing some sort of blingy shoe arrangement but all that walking around a mall calls for comfortable shoes and a pair of Havianas does the trick in the warmer months. In the cooler months a simple pair of flats that are easy to slip on and off will do.
4. Hide Your Purchases. This is entirely optional, but I like the approach of putting bags inside bags. That way it looks as though I’ve only made two purchases at the shops today when actual fact I’ve made at least double that.
5. Buy A Distraction. Finally, on your way out of the mall buy your other half a distraction. Today it was a Cinnabon. Last week it was a donut. Next week it will probably be a brownie. Then, when you get home and walk through the door, if your husband/partner/wife/whoever is home you can tell them you’ve bought them a treat and while they’re inhaling it you can throw your purchases in a cupboard!
There we have it. Shopping in Hawaii with Pam. How good are those tips?!
Got a shopping tip you’d like to share? Do tell!
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