In Shanghai, there are some female white collars who earn more than 10,000 yuan a month and yet live a "poor" life. Recently, they posted a letter on the Internet, asking people to help them to curb their desire for constant shopping.

A woman wrote an article on the Internet, listing all the things she wishes to buy, including cosmetics, leather goods, and clothes. She wants someone to persuade her that all these things are junk and are not worth buying at all.

Ms. Xu works in a US company. Whenever she has the time, she will go shopping. Her friends can never stop her buying. As a result, the money in her credit card is easily gone. At her house, the room is filled with all kinds of cosmetic goods, ornaments, clothes, etc. She says she knows all these things are unnecessary, yet she just can't help buying them.

A related institution recently conducted a survey among some 350 white collar workers in Shanghai. The survey shows that half of them have got a pay raise by 50 percent, and 30 percent of others by 30 percent. In fact, the salaries of white collar workers in Shanghai have been raised substantially over the past few years. However, 70 percent of these people have cut down their money input in investment, savings, and pension funds. At the same time, their expenditure on shopping and leisure activities has increased greatly. Most of the people who keep this consumption mode are women who earn high salaries. 

(China News Service October 18, 2006)