The shopping problem I never thought I had

I never thought I had a shopping problem. Until I arrived in Italy. Maybe it's the iconic beauty inherent in the place, maybe it's because of the quality fabrics and local artisan wares. Maybe it's because I've been deeply influenced by my late grandmother’s taste in Italian colours and beads and fabrics and and and…. Maybe it's the fact that I've never been to Cinque Terre or Venice before and I'm not sure when I'll be back again. Or maybe this incessant heat is getting to me.

In truth it's probably a combination of factors. Beautiful things that are only found here with limited time, and more shops than I'd care to visit. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Plus with the AUD to Euro exchange rate, it gets expensive fast.

So what's a girl to do?

Well barring going cold turkey, I've gotta put in some strategies to navigate this.

When I'm in iconic places surrounded by beautiful things, and I find something that I think I like, I implement the following:

Ask myself:

How will I use this?

Do I have something like it?

Will it travel well?

What did something similar cost elsewhere?

Is it unique?

Would I buy it online, if I wasn't here?

Do I really need both?

Is this a tourist hot spot or is it the real McCoy?

Is it in my spending “budget”?

Would I pay that much in AUD?

Do I love it?

I like to buy things that I'll use. Over the years I've learnt that I'm at my capacity with keychains and shelf space for random ornaments, so I look for things like a small vase or a serving dish that will get regular use when I'm home.

The Murano glass here is magnificent. But it's also super delicate and fragile, so buying something that will be an eternal stress as I travel, as much as it's on my wishlist, isn't worth it. I refuse to spend €€€ on something that might not make it to the other side of the world in one piece.

After traversing the streets and shop after shop, I start to get a sense for pricing, the first few shops are “research” so I can mentally benchmark what a good going rate is. Commonly the shops closest to transit areas are more expensive, and the further into town or off the beaten track, the cheaper it is for the same items, if not even better quality and less generic.

Close proximity is expensive. Go for a 5 minute wander and you might be paying half for the same thing.

Image search is pretty useful these days and when I shop, especially for location specific items I like to buy something unique. Sometimes I'll even take a photo of the item and reverse image search it to see if there's much online which is comparable. These places usually charge a premium, so if I'm buying a momento I want it to be local, not mass produced and if I'm going to schlep it across the globe there better be a good reason, so I double check that Amazon doesn't do next day delivery for my find.

Usually I find more than one thing that I love. But buying both won't necessarily make me happier. So I double check- do I really really want both?

Another quick sense check is asking myself - would I actually buy this if I wasn't feeling strapped for time, overheating and running for the next ferry back to Venice? Sometimes we buy out of urgency, but it doesn't always mean it's the kind of purchase we'd want to make on a regular basis. Take a breath, slow it down for a second and check in if it aligns with your usual purchasing choices.

I'm a little obsessed with Venice and the artisan wares here. It's hard not to buy this thing and the next and the next and the next. So I set a limit. I choose an amount that I am happy to spend on things that bring me joy, and that's it. No self bargaining, no just one more, no this one is also cute! A limit, so that I don't have a shopping hangover tomorrow. I also think of things in AUD - basically doubling the shelf price, and if I wouldn't spend it in dollars, I'm choosing not to spend it in Euros.

Fiiiinalllyyy. I ask myself again. Do I love it? Like REALLY LOVE IT? Because the whole point of buying myself things here is to buy things that I love that bring me joy.

So I double check. Is it just beautiful? Is it just a good price? Is it urgent? Am I overheating?

Or do I truly love it?

And if the answer is yes - it's time to wrap it in lots of bubble wrap for the long journey back to Australia.

do you splurge on shopping when you travel?

• 0%yes
• 0%not me