Why pinning beats shopping

I just passed my driving theory test. I know ‘Woo hoo! Go me!’ I was feeling pretty drained after the hazard perception test. My goodness, after an intense half hour dodging virtual bolting horses, narrowly avoiding collisions with cyclists and reversing vans, trying and failing to spot pedestrians in the pitch dark, I was in need of a reward.

Luckily there was a Debenhams next to the test centre, so after a restorative cup of tea in the café, I took a wander around the store looking for my prize. There were some stunning party dresses for little girls, a gorgeous black one with a hummingbird print by Ted Baker, and some cool carrot leg trousers for boys, and very cute pyjamas in womenswear. I kept picking things up and walking round with them, then putting them back thinking ‘I don’t really need this.’

But they were having one of their blue sticker days and I was finding it tough to resist the lure of 20% off. In bedding I nearly succumbed. I was zigzagging methodically down the aisles going ‘nice, cute, nice, sweet…’ when I spotted The One: a John Rocha duvet cover in white with a scattering of photographic effect single stemmed flowers. 

It was the bed linen I have been waiting for all my life. With trembling hands I picked it up. Would it be 100% cotton or not? A sure deal breaker. It was. Result! I was already picturing it in the bedroom working perfectly with the curtains. Then I looked at the price. Nearly sixty quid and no pillowcases included. Did I really need it? Would my husband like it? 

Then I had my Eureka moment. ‘I can pin it!’ Simple. I stake my claim on it, publically declare my love for it. I can admire it as often as I want and I don’t have to shell out a penny. I felt pretty darn pleased with myself.

I adore pinterest. I collect and organise all the beautiful, inspiring and wonderful images I find on the internet. I 'follow' people whose taste I admire and other pinners follow me back. And strangely I suspect pinterest has saved me an awful lot of money.

I headed back to the café for a second cup of tea thinking about how pinning rather than increasing our desire to accumulate stuff can actually curb it by satisfying our consumer lusts before we indulge in them. We don’t have to own the physical object. It can be enough to have a glossy picture of it on our computer screen. And there is that little buzz of pleasure when someone else pins it or likes it. That affirmation that yes you have great taste. You are cool, you are beautiful, you rock. You are ok.