"Have money, will buy" is a motto that is followed in any country around the world, but nowhere is it easier to stick to than in the USA. Almost every shop is a department store, with shelves upon shelves stacked high with merchandise. Walk into one such shop and you can get fresh vegetables, satin bed sheets and a DVD Home Theatre System all at once.

We are used to doing a lot of research and taking a whole load of opinions before we purchase something as 'major' as a Television set. Here, its just a matter of comparing prices on some website, then walking into the nearest Costco and walking out with a shopping cart loaded with a 27" color Television of your choice! And while you're at it, you may as well pick up a gallon of cooking oil, a 5-pound bag of chips and enough soap to last the whole year. Add to that the supposedly simple options of "no-interest financing" and "buy now - pay later" you are a borrower for life!

Being in debt is one of the biggest fears in America. There are even websites asking for donations and help to get out of debt! Being trapped under a load of dues is easy here. I bet you have read at least one ad that says "SALE - buy today, no payments until 2004!" Ever notice that these ads came out in November and that 2004 starts from Jan 1st? Yes, it is a carefully laid ruse.

Groceries are required every month, so are vegetables. But in America, your shopping gets divided into two main groups: general grocery and Indian stuff. The general grocery is supposed to be a short trip to the nearest Vons or Ralph's or whatever. It's a different matter that it never is short and if far from inexpensive. Yeah, yeah, I know. You spent half your Sunday clipping coupons from the newspaper and categorizing them according to the aisles in the store. But what's the use of 50 cents off of a $ 3 toothpaste? Especially when it's not even the brand you like to use!

Indian store shopping usually becomes a day outing. First is the all-important task of making a list of all things Indian: this is done over a range of days ("Ok, last packet of Maggie? Note it in the list"). Then, you decide upon a weekend and get up bright and early. Off you go on a close-to-two-hour drive to the nearest 'Little India'. The grocery store is always piled high with the latest from back home. Try as you might to stick to that long list, there is always something that you 'forgot' or a new product that you just have to try. Walking up and down the aisles you pick up masalas, atta, dals, instant mixes, spices, bhindi and methi and let's not forget the all-important Maggie packets. By the time you exit, you are exhausted. So, move on to lunch at the delicious Udupi restaurant next door. By the time you drive back home and store all your purchases, its dinnertime. A whole day and a lot of money spent!

That was smooth. Shopping for clothes, however, can turn out to be a test of endurance. Every weekend is a 'Special _______ Sale" - fill in the blank with the holiday that is coming up, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas…there is no dearth of those. "Buy 1 get the second for 88cents" wow! That sounds like a bargain. Or does it? Not when one itsy bitsy top costs $ 28!

Get all excited by the 60%-off Sale and head for the store. You are confronted with a gaggle of others lured by the same supposed cut in the price tags. Push your way through to the racks and your next dilemma is to decide what it is you want to buy, for every type of clothing is sub-divided into a range of varieties: pants (trousers, slacks, joggers, knee-highs, Capris, clam diggers - whatever that is), skirts (short, long, ruffled, printed, solids, minis, micro-minis, skorts - that's a pair of shorts pretending to be a skirt), you get the idea! And heaven help you if you're looking for jeans (I can write a whole book on that topic, so don't ask!). Then is the question of determining your size. A series of visits to the fitting-room follow (don't be surprised to hear an ecstatic "YES" from one of the booths, its probably someone who finally found the correct fit). And after all that hard work, dedication and perseverance you are the one who has to pay up! The same diligence at work would probably earn you a bonus.

But that's the way it is. All pain, no gain because next month is another holiday, another sale, another list. And off you go to shop.

More articles by Radhika Pradhan-Chitnis

1. Culinary Quests
2. Driving…Me Crazy!!!
3. Life after H-4
4. The Shopper's Snare