SHOPAHOLICS have had a bad rap recently. After all, one could argue that the economic downturn - which has led to many people losing their jobs and to companies slowing hiring and implementing salary freezes - was caused by shopaholics.

Short of going into a lengthy explanation onmortgages, housing markets and capital flow, let's just say that I refer to those consumers who spent beyond their means and contributed to the situation that we are in today.

Yet, there's a difference between good and bad spending, isn't there? The trouble is how to define the two.

Economies coming to a standstill need the consumer's hardearned dollar for a boost. Thus, governments may need "good shopaholics" to save the world.

Here's a confession - and I've never admitted this in print - (deep breath) I am a shopaholic. The dire economic situation has not dampened my shopping mood a bit.

Last week, after a stressful day at work, I checked my bank balance, said "screw it", and hit the online stores. I felt great as soon as I clicked the "confirm purchase" button.

So, why did I feel guilty afterwards? It wasn't a spree that left me bankrupt by any means. (My total, plus shipping? A paltry $157.)

Perhaps because I have been hearing the recent refrain: "Cut down on spending down, cut down on spending." Even as Christmas draws nearer.

But surely I had no reason to feel bad? After all, shopping may well help boost the Singapore economy, which has suffered recession in the second and third quarters of this year.

In other countries, governments and analysts breathed a collective sigh of relief when consumer spending went up.

In the United States, reports of retail sales on Black Friday last month after Thanksgiving - traditionally one of the most lucrative days of the US shopping calendar and considered the first day of the holiday shopping season - had retailers cautiously cheering.

Despite the bad times, consumer spending on that day saw a growth of around 6 per cent, with most dollars and cents spent on electronics, furniture and home furnishings, reported the Washington Post.

Still, the state of the economy is a huge wake-up call to shopaholics like me.

Yes, it's good to spend these months to help the economy, but spending must be wise.

After all, there are inveterate shopping addicts who overspend, putting themselves - and sometimes their families - into debt, as reported by the website beatingaddictions.co.uk

So, I had to find out - where do I stand on the shopaholic scale? I took a test online.

Questions ranged from "Would you rather have Paris Hilton's credit limit than snog Orlando Bloom?" (Yes) to "Have you ever been excited about a party because it was an excuse to buy a new outfit?" (Again, yes).

To my relief, I came out as a "sensible shopper". I suppose the fact that I don't have outstanding debt, thanks to shopping, counts for something.

If anything, shopaholics like me could perhaps use the downturn to practise and cultivate discipline.

After all, according to a Cosmopolitan magazine online survey, women think about shopping as much as men think about sex. Thoughts of buying something pop into the heads of young women every 60 seconds, according to the Cosmo survey.

Hopefully, working on some shopping discipline during the downturn will carry over into life when the crisis is over, leading to wiser, better people.

So, if there's a lesson that the economic downturn has for everyone, it's that it could turn people into smarter and more sensible shoppers.

Merry Christmas, and happy smart shopping!

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