84. Shopping Addiction

Janet has a shopping addiction. She loves buying clothes, school supplies, and electronics. If she is not shopping in stores, she is shopping online. She considers shopping as her hobby.

Janet often shops when she is sad, because she feels like shopping gives her power. Because she shops so much, her house was getting cluttered.

Her mom and dad restricted her access to money by closing her debit and credit card accounts. They also stopped giving her an allowance. This did not stop Janet from shopping. In fact, things got even worse. Janet started shoplifting. She was really good at it, too. For clothes, she would just/span> go into the fitting room and put them in her bag.

Fitting rooms did not have surveillance cameras, so that was why she could do that. School supplies were even easier to steal. Janet just looked around her and put the pens in her pocket. Electronics were difficult to steal, so she never tried.

Janet saw a necklace she liked. As usual, she went to the fitting room and placed it in her bag. When she exited the store, the alarm went off. Janet was shocked as that had never happened to her.

An employee checked her bag and pulled out the necklace from her bag. It turned out that there was a security tag.

Vocabulary Words

Addiction – a strong and harmful need to do something
Janet has a shopping addiction.
Electronics – devices like phones, computers, or tablets
She loves buying clothes, school supplies, and electronics.
Hobby – an activity done for fun or relaxation
She considers shopping as her hobby.
Cluttered – messy or filled with too many things
Her house was getting cluttered.
Restricted – limited or controlled
Her mom and dad restricted her access to money.
Debit card – a bank card used to pay with your own money
They closed her debit and credit card accounts.
Credit card – a card that lets you borrow money to buy things
They closed her debit and credit card accounts.
Allowance – money parents give regularly
They also stopped giving her an allowance.
Shoplifting – stealing things from a store
Janet started shoplifting.
Fitting room – a place in stores to try on clothes
She would just go into the fitting room.
Surveillance – watching or monitoring for safety or control
Fitting rooms did not have surveillance cameras.
Cameras – devices used to record or take pictures
There were no surveillance cameras in the fitting room.
Pocket – a small pouch in clothes
Janet put the pens in her pocket.
Necklace – a piece of jewelry worn around the neck
Janet saw a necklace she liked.
Alarm – a loud sound that warns of danger or theft
The alarm went off when she exited the store.
Shocked – very surprised or startled
Janet was shocked as that had never happened to her.
Employee – a person who works at a store or business
An employee checked her bag.
Security – protection against crime or danger
There was a security tag on the necklace.
Tag – a small device used to stop theft
The necklace had a security tag.
Exited – went out of a place
She exited the store, and the alarm went off.