Shoppers who have cut their spending — some drastically — during the downturn are now suffering from what some call “frugal fatigue” so reports The Washington Post.
Most ardent shoppers don’t seem to be giving in to their cravings yet: Consumer spending was sluggish last month, and credit card debt is waning. But with the Dow topping 10,000 just last week and the air filled with talk of recovery, it’s getting harder for some people to keep suppressing the urge.
“I want to shop!” cried a frustrated Gillian Joseph, 42, of McLean, leaving Marshalls in Pentagon City empty-handed last week.
Joseph, a widow and mother of a young son, quit shopping “cold turkey” a year ago when her investments lost half their value.
For someone who used to blow $100 every time she walked into Target, “it was a sad and scary time,” she said. “I’m a shopaholic. I love to shop.”
She finally broke her fast, walking into Nordstrom after a long absence and buying a pair of 4 1/2 -inch heels in bright floral colors. The experience was cathartic, she said.
“It was like spring — rebirth, reawakening.”
Photo by lululemon athletica.