Confessions of a Shopaholic

Sophie Kinsella really delivers when it comes to quality written stories. Every book of hers is filled with funny and heart felt characters. I originally picked up this book because I watched the movie adaptation many years ago. When I learned that it was a book, I had to pick it up. I will not make this review a comparison between the book and the movie, but I will say the two are parallel just different situations, characters, and conflicts.

I myself can be a shopaholic, but mostly, if not only, with books. At one point in my life, I was all over the latest trends and clothing. I had to have it all. But, I grew up and put my money into items that would last forever, and I'd never outgrow. On occasion, I'll treat myself to a shopping spree, but my style of fashion isn't what's trending at the moment.

This book was published in 2000 when technology was on the verge of becoming more mobile. It is refreshing to read a story from a time when resources were limited to word of mouth, magazines, and television. It adds more conflict for the story. Unlike today where a story can be shared in seconds on Facebook or Youtube. Rebecca Bloomwood would certainly have more trouble forgetting to pay her bills by adding message alerts for her overdrafts and setting reminders on her phone. Nevertheless, this story is a classic for its time and onward for the next generation to enjoy.

What's great about this book is that anyone can read it at any point in their life. It relates to everyone and anyone with money problems. This book should be a must-read for college students especially in today's time of student loans and living expense checks being handed out like candy. On top of that, upcoming college students aren't taught in high school how to properly manage their finances and stay on a budget. Not unless their parents were wise about teaching one of the most important life lessons before releasing them into the world. Students are poor. Unless they're the lucky ones with a trust fund, but it's a fact that college students on FAFSA are flat broke.

I myself was a recent student, and learned the harsh life of a tight budget. It's so tempting to spend that living expense check on new decorations for the dorm room or furniture pieces for the apartment. Whatever the reason, it's so tempting to sit on a check so big as a broke student. Rebecca Bloomwood shares this struggle when she justifies her excessive spending by calling it an investment. Any college student can relate to this. Some students will receive their living expense check, pay all their bills, and have some extra money to spare. A reasonable student would put that money aside to give back, but other students, such as myself, would put it towards long term investments or extravagant trips. Which only adds to the next month's guilt of paying bills.

I realize I went off on a tangent, but this book really provokes you. It makes you question how you're handling your finances, and what is a need versus a want when it comes to buying.

Rebecca is a humorous, clever, ungraceful character worth reading about. She made me laugh literally out loud and not just in my head through out the book. This book was written in a time before the cliché storylines of today, but Kinsella has a way of making you feel like you're reading a freshly new story. She doesn't take her books too seriously which makes the story much more fun. When I sat down to read this book, it was an absolute page turner. The writing style is easy to follow despite the vernacular being from British culture. It took me awhile to figure out what tube meant (a taxi), but google can't confirm it. So, I'm still not sure. The British certainly have way more interesting names for things.

This book is worth reading even if fashion isn't your thing. Rebecca's quirky solutions to make and save money will be enough to keep anyone hooked. I don't understand finances, but Rebecca certainly made the hard stuff clear. I wasn't sure if reading book two of this series was worth it, but I will definitely have to pick it up. Rebecca is invited to go to New York just after she's cleared her debt. What could possibly go wrong?

#Shopaholic #fashion #debt #savingsvsspending