Our consumerist lives

Shopping is a pretty big part of our lives. Most often, when thinking of somewhere to go, places that come up as ideas are shopping strips and shopping centres. I've heard a lot of grumbling in the past about how people really should find something else to do. See a film. Read a book. Have a picnic. Go bowling. Etc etc.

But I had a think, and I realised something: Window shopping is probably the cheapest and simplest form of entertainment you can get.

There are no entry fees, like for cinemas or bowling alleys. If you're going to a large centre, there's no worry about the weather going wrong and spoiling your lunch. You don't need to plan ahead a great deal, and if you don't actually buy anything you've only paid for getting there and maybe some food and drink (though nothing stops you bringing  your own to those places, either).

Now, the weather thing may well be a HTFU scenario, but in reality no one wants to be out in unpleasant conditions if there is another option, even if that option is your lounge room floor. But that is still not ideal, as you're back in the house which you wanted to escape in the first place.

To conclude: I don't t hink that shopping as entertainment is such a bad thing, as long as one is aware of their spending and why they went shopping in the first place.

Answers to Friday's quiz!

Flat surfaces:

• 6 bookshelves
• 1 floor
• 2 levels of the TV stand
• 2 levels of coffee table
• The top of my pile of papers
• 1 foot stool
• 1 piano stool
• 1 piano
• The top of the DVD shelves
• The top of each box next to the cabinet (3 surfaces)
• 2 levels of cabinet

Total = 19

There are seven which ones I had already taken advantage of :-)