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I’ve been wrestling with retail therapy for years. So much so that earlier this year, my therapist suggested I try not shopping for non-essentials until August. It was doable. I was determined. Then the damn pandemic hit. All rules went out the window. Even then, I held on as long as I could (a few weeks) before I cracked.

A Cuisinart air fryer, a Kitchen Aid mixer, a food processor were some of the big ticket items I clicked to add to cart. My justification? They fell in line with my new hobby/self-care of baking and cooking, which I’ve done a lot of during the shutdown. I’m such a cliché because other people are doing the same. If the pandemic were a prom, sourdough and banana bread would be Prom King and Queen. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also order clothing, skin and hair care products and other smaller kitchen gadgets, like a lemon zester.

I was making great use of my NYPL membership via Libby and borrowing audiobooks on a consistent basis. I’ll actually reach, if not surpass, my Goodreads goal this year. Leading up to Juneteenth, there was a huge social media push to support Black businesses and amplify Black Art. I did my part by purchasing and posting two paperback essay collections by Black authors from a Black-owned bookstore. Since then, I’ve ordered 2 or 3 other books. One to get the pre-order swag (pair of earrings), the other for book club, soooo not as altruistic as before, but kudos to me for still supporting, right?

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Every week or every other week, my landlord would text me that I received another package. I let it sit out in the hallway for a week or so to de-Corona before I brought it in unbox. Reactions varied from pleasantly surprised to WTF? Most of the time, I know exactly where and why I want to log on and shop, however, I’ve fallen victim to pesky social media sponsored ads. In one case, it was a podcast sponsored ad. A list of sponsored ads to which I’ve succumbed during this pandemic:

• Fenty Beauty face washing starter kit
• Maniology nail art
• Dr. Seuss masks (Cat in the Hat & Grinch)
• African print mask
• Black Lives Matter masks
• Floor cushion
• Produce-washing tub with a stopper for draining
• Booty short sets (for lounging)
• Tie-dyed form-fitting onesies (for lounging)
• Afrocentric shirt dress (even my cousin forwarded to me because it’s so me)
• Flamingo print PJs (because, why not?)
• Shoes
• Anti-microbial body scrubber
• Causebox subscription (love it!)
• New podcasts, including the Michelle Obama Podcast
• Protein powder
• Hair care (full shebang: shampoo, conditioner, deep condition mask, hair milk, oil, pomade)
• Shea body butters

I’m sure there are missing items. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars. Some are completely new products and one-offs. Others are products that I already consume, but the sponsored ad announced a hard-to-resist sale. The upside to these purchases is that I earned credit card points, sometimes double. When outside opens again and the US passport isn’t the laughingstock of the planet, I’ll use those points to purchase a plane ticket somewhere. I’ll be sure to pack my skincare and new outfits and listen to the podcasts during the flight.