Every day we are bombarded by thousands of ads,
promotional campaigns and flyers that are thrust upon us while we wait for the
lights to turn green. If our brain were to process each of these stimuli, then
it would probably konk-off by the time you drove down to office. How the brain
manages to maintain sanity (or some resemblance of it) is by streamlining and
prioritizing needs and wants. So, you end up seeing the ads that match the
stated or unstated needs inside you. Now you know why the roads seem to be full
of car advertisements when you want to buy a new car.
Most of the times, this process is
manageable because you are buying for yourself. You know (or at least you think
you know) what you want, and thus can make a buying decision. This is why it’s
so difficult to buy a gift for your other half – because it’s difficult (and
dangerous) to guesstimate what someone else might want. And worse, most of the
times, they don’t state it because they ‘expect’ you to know. (And also,
because you don’t listen, but that is for your other, better half to explain).
Now imagine buying stuff for someone who is
a fraction of that better half and is more adamant at not stating her needs (Chill! I’ve a daughter. I’m not being a
sexist!). That’s right! Welcome to parenthood! There is a whole world of
products out there, that you don’t quite register till the time you don't become
parents. And once you enter this world, it is quite easy to get overwhelmed and
lost.
Everything seems exorbitant when you see
the almost-nothing quantity of material you get for maxing out your credit card.
And worse, everything seems like a must-have because (a) you are trying to think
like a new-born and (b) because the marketers know a thing or two about
manipulating and guilt-tripping first-time customers into buying a lot of stuff
that they really don’t need. These shopping expeditions can be a learning
experience as well. For example, there is a clothing size called ‘new born’ as well
as a size called ‘0-3 months’ (why!).
Like every learning, these too come at a price.
But remember! Parenthood usually lasts longer than most home loans. So, space out
your purchases. You can always buy that ‘my-baby-absolutely-needs-it-right-away’
diaper changing station, next month. Another important rule to remember is ‘what
is costly, is not always better quality’. Give those small shops and bustling
markets where your parents used to shop for you, a look before you head to the
malls and online markets. You usually get very good stuff in those ‘old
city’ markets and they can save you a lot of money as well – which you can
later spend in buying diapers.
(This article was published in the March 03, 2017 edition of Loksatta-Jansatta newspaper in Vadodara)
Usual, though inspiring!
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