"I dread being asked if I have any 'fun' hobbies? As if anyone devotes time to a hobby they find unfun. People get very judgemental about hobbies. You are allowed to say "going to the gym" is a hobby i.e. the picking up and putting down of heavy things. But I cannot say "shopping" without the hobby police shouting: "But that's not a REAL hobby.""
"Rod Stewart is allowed to spend millions on model train sets but I'm the slave to capitalism for spending an afternoon sniffing expensive candles in Brown Thomas before putting them back. Shopping is an exercise in discernment. It is not about what you buy but what you leave behind."
"It's knowing who else is selling an item cheaper, if it's likely to go on sale soon or if it will be snapped up. I love all forms of retail - hardware stores, garage sales, chemists, supermarkets, souks, charity outlets, flea markets and boutiques. If it sells something, I will be in there looking for something to buy."
People face judgment when describing hobbies, with some activities treated as “real” and others dismissed as shallow or consumerist. Gym-going is accepted as a hobby, while shopping is often criticized as not genuine. Shopping is framed as an exercise in discernment: it focuses on what is left behind as much as what is bought. It involves checking prices elsewhere, estimating whether an item will go on sale, and considering whether it will sell out. The hobby includes many retail environments, from hardware stores and garage sales to supermarkets, markets, charity outlets, flea markets, and boutiques, with interest in finding something to buy wherever it is sold.
Read at Independent
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