The Great Singapore Sit-out

Our newspapers are full of ads touting bargains to be had all over our island. The great Singapore Sale is on again.

I must say I was sorely tempted when I accompanied someone into Isetan to exchange a blouse. There were tops, bottoms, undies and what-have-you galore, and at such affordable prices too!

But though I saw a nice blouse that would have suited me perfectly at $10, I managed to make it out of there with my wallet unscathed, thanks to something my sis-in-law Sophia once said. We’d been whining about not having enough space for our stuff when she noted: “Just because something fits you, and looks good on you, and is cheap, doesn’t mean you have to buy it.”

That gave me pause. Until then, I think that if all those factors were present, and I was not actually broke, I would automatically buy the item. ... And would later moan about not having enough space to store all my clothes.

Sophia lives in Rwanda, where she gets exposed to more have-nots than we do in Singapore – can you believe that books and colour pencils there are luxury items? No kidding. Also, she moved house in Singapore 20 months back, and had to contend with loads of stuff, so I respect her pronouncements about movable property.

Actually, I should have known even without her prompting, since I do get exposed to some of the less fortunate, since I volunteer for the Touch Community Services’ Meals on Wheels scheme. Every week or fortnight, I drive around delivering lunch or dinner to old or infirm people.

It’s good exposure – the first time I did it, I was traumatised because I’d thought that one-room flats belonged to our ancient past, and had all been torn down. Nope.

Back in those interior corridors, with the neighbours’ televisions blaring, and other neighbours in various states of undress, all visible through open doors, I felt a blast from the past. I was a kid again, following my parents to visit some old friend or relative. I’d be perched on a stool, with a cup of very dilute syrup, wondering when we could go home. I was generally a rambunctious kid when I was in familiar territory, shouting, running around and tearing up the place, but this was alien territory indeed.

Delivering food makes me more content with what I have – instead of reacting to all the stuff marketing people dangle in front of me, I feel very lucky for what I have. That is, until the GSS rolled around again.

While the GSS offers are supposed to be really great, I plan to buy only according to my need, rather than the good deal being offered.

And since I have pretty much what I need, I think I’ll be sitting out most of the GSS this year.