I have to admit, shopping was always on my mind since the whole lockdown started.

It felt like this whole period, I was in some form of rehab that weaned me off from buying. I don’t use credit cards anymore for these sorts of purchases (I save up for these as my mom has always advised us) so the chances of just buying anything I want are slim. But I still run the risk of not saving anything substantial if I keep making thoughtless purchases.

Just before the lockdown, I bought a pair of new Nikes which were okay; they were on sale for nearly half the original price, but I really wanted something else (moral: don’t settle) The last couple of years that I’ve been buying sneakers when Nike started shipping to New Zealand, the average price of my picks is $250 which is not cheap when you consider that when I started working here in 2008, that was almost half of my weekly wages after taxes. And of course on my birthday, I had to buy myself something nice so I got a new pair of jeans in grey, skinny fit (I normally get the slim fit ones, and these are Nudie jeans, my favourite denim label) and they’re perfect. I thought I was saving up money getting them from an Australian retailer advertising heaps of sales, but ended up paying nearly the same amount if I had bought them in New Zealand- still they were the perfect size, 30/30 for an average guy like me (waist measurement and length), which is a size option you rarely get. And these are not cheap denims either (start at $250).

And that was it- only two purchases.

And it’s been a challenge keeping it at just two.

I think I can hold off on the knits, the jackets and the shoes, but I’m having an eye-test soon and I’m eyeing a really nice Prada frame. I also have my eyes set on a pair of Tom Fords for years.

And then there’s the new iPad Pro with the new Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard- yes, without a doubt, I’ll be getting these this year (it pays to eat only once a day- THIS IS TRUE, I KID YOU NOT- you don’t get fat and you save heaps of money).