Shopping, to an Ilongga, is inborn as her ovaries even for the rarer specie like myself who prefers P1000 spent on a hard-bound biography of Nelson Mandela to a discounted smoky eye shadow pallet. Perhaps, I do not share the opinion that looking good for a maximum of five seconds to strangers requires more funding than knowing about the life story of a contemporary political figure. Nevertheless, I get swindled once in a while by pastel colored nail polish and sleek goes-with-any-wardrobe heels. My materialistic heart jumps twelve times in a row upon purchase, but my financially abused wallet wallows in half-regret.

That is why with the renaissance of downtown Iloilo, I found a way to satisfy the Rebecca Bloomwood in me while being affordable.

Marymart Mall should be hailed as the bargain clothes capital of the city. There are several second-hand clothing boutiques inside the mall where if one is persistent, a good-fitting and church-ready blouse will only cost her Php100. Frequently visited ukay-ukay stores are Magarbo and Joemils. The third floor is lined with thrift stalls where one will be surprised to hand in Php500 for a black lace dress and receive change enough for lunch at McDonalds.

Good quality shoes are easier to find in the city. There is a reason why shoe shops like Shoe Castle in Marymart Mall and Sams Shoes along Calle Real stood the test of time and SM Citys Parisian brand. At Sams Shoes, my grandmother Marit who knows her shoes introduced me to the bargain brand Julinette which has the same classic vibe as Rusty Lopez but is friendlier to the budget.

My mother Llane has creative genes that I did not unfortunately inherit. Deciding to make her own bag, brooch and even curtains is like any other Wednesday. Her favorite spots are Aldeguers Taylay Textile and Iznarts Shanghai Bazaar. They have some ridiculously pretty sequences and fabrics which are also ridiculously cheap. Ilongga youth must bring back their creative heritage, now that DIYs are all the rage.

My favorite shopping merchandise however isnt something wearable. I binge shop for cutesy school supplies. Bookmarks, paper clips, highlighters, memo pads I am abnormally attracted to them. Hence, 168 Allegro and Unitop are my favorite places downtown. Recently before the school year started, I was able hoard five small colorfully decorated sticky pads for Php 42, a four-piece highlighter set for Php 80 and a ten-piece black gel pen set for Php 75.

Shopping does not need to be expensive to be enjoyable. After all it is just like any other hobby, it is experienced. Personally, I feel more accomplished after bringing home a lot of plastic bags still with all the luxury to hire a taxi cab.