mollydotw: Guide To Solo Shopping

Some people love it and others hate it, but to me shopping solo is the best pass-time.
At first I thought shopping on your own would be extremely boring and unproductive but since trying it I now prefer it than going with other people! (As anti-social as that sounds).
So I am going to give you a few tips on how to shop on your own and make the most out of your own company.

Step One.)

If you are driving yourself there make sure you leave with plenty of change for the car park as there is nothing worse than parking and then realising you don't have any money to pay for it. I'm one of those people that always forget and rely on whoever is with you to have change, but of course this wont be possible when your on your own! The best method of doing this is to leave 'emergency change' in a hidden place in your car so if you do forget to put some in your purse, your car will already have some.

On the other hand, if you don't drive and have to take a bus or taxi, you may want to set a reminder on your phone to take some change with you, otherwise your driver may not be so happy.

Step Two.)

Always give yourself more time.

I mean this in the sense of choosing how much money to put in at the car park to decide how long a stay you want. Some newer car parks now you can stay as long as you like and then pay afterwards so you don't have to worry whilst your shopping how long you have left. But older places will have the 'pay and display' machines. So you pay per hour. I always choose more time than I think I will need in this situation as then I'm not spending my whole shopping day thinking 'I need to be back in half an hour!' as this just takes the relaxation away of solo shopping and makes the whole day into one stressful mess.

Step Three.)

Take a bottle of drink.

Personally I am not the sort of person to sit in a cafe or restaurant on my own for a quick drink and snack as I just find it awkward. I much prefer taking a bottle of drink and a snack which I can eat between walking to shops. You can either make up your own drink at home or buy one when you get there :)

Step Four.)

Make sure your phone is fully charged, and tell someone where you are going!

As you are shopping on your own its important that other people know where you are and you have some way of contacting them. You'll thank me for this when your car breaks down and you have a way of calling for help ;)

Step Five.)

Mentally plan where you want to go and which shops you want to go to first.

This will stop you looking like a muppet when your walking around in circles not sure which shop to go into first. I like having a little plan in my head of what I need and where to get it and the best order to do it in. For example I normally make a bee-line for Superdrug just because all the items in this shop will be small and light-weight meaning you can carry your items for the rest of the day without the bag breaking your arm! Also I find going into cosmetic shops first remind me of other things I need, for some strange reason.

This is the Superdrug I shop at in my town :)
(This is not my own photo).

Step Six.)

Go into clothes shops with an open mind!!

I cannot stress this enough.

One of my favourite things about shopping on my own is the fact there is no one else to tell you 'ew why would you like that style' or 'I hate clothes like that.' Now I get that constructive-criticism is very helpful and I would expect my friends and family to tell me if something looked horrible on me but I also understand that people have their own styles and if its different from yours, you need to respect that. So as your on your own go into clothe shops and try on whatever you like! Because if you get to the changing room and it really doesn't suit you all you have to do is put it back and nobody will ever know how awful it looked ;) but you could also be pleasantly surprised!

Step Seven.)

Tackle Primark last.

If you are from the UK and shop at Primark you will know how much of a jumble sale it can be in there, especially if its a busy day.

The Primark I visit has recently been done-up and I LOVE it! But other stores may not be so nice.

I always find saving Primark until last not only gives you something to look forward to but stops you from carrying around a huge heavy bag with you for the rest of the day - especially as the handles on Primark bags are so thin that they literally cut into your skin!! (If anyone is sat reading this with not the foggiest of what Primark is, its basically a very large clothes store in the UK where the items are extremely cheap, and you will always end up buying a lot more than you intended to.)

The Primark store in town.
(Once again, not my photo)

Step Eight.)

Always keep your receipts.

This is a big one.

Simply because as you are shopping on your own and you don't have any second opinions you may get home and realise the clothes you bought aren't as nice as you first realised or you've actually bought completely the wrong shade of foundation (as long as the seal is still on you should be able to return any makeup product). Primark receipts are one to definitely keep a hold of just as although the clothes are cheap, the quality is not always there so you may get home and notice a button is loose or theres a small rip, so you can always return the item and swap it for another one - happy days!

Once finished, go home and put away all your new bits and pieces and possibly go for a well earned snooze. :)

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