TikTok Made Me Buy It

Call me old fashioned, but I actually like to go to the mall, and shop. I know that most people now a days do all their shopping on line, which is something I vowed I would never do. But one day my world turned upside down when I discovered the TikTok app on my phone. My life would never be the same. It was an epiphany! Now whenever I see things on TikTok that I want to buy… well, I do.

Clouds on My Feet?

So one day I was scrolling through TikTok and I saw a ton of ads for the world’s most comfortable slippers. People were just raving about them. They were advertised as the best pair of slippers you will ever own, like “clouds for your feet.” I had never had clouds on my feet before and I was so amazed by what I saw that I just had to have a pair.

*FYI, Big Sis is my online purchasing agent. She places my orders and I reimburse her. Its a convenient and risk free arrangement that I really appreciate.

When Big Sis confirmed the order, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. After what felt like an eternity (two days to be exact) they arrived. When I opened the package I was dumb struck. They were the most beautiful slippers I had ever seen. I sat down, and put them on. Then I stood up. Then I walked around my house. For the first time in my life I knew what it was like to have clouds on my feet! This was a great purchase. It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more….Uh oh….You can probably see where this is going. Yup, I was hooked.

Next, in my never ending quest for optimizing my fitness level, I decided to up my walking game, so naturally I went back to TikTok and found shoes that were billed as the only walking ones you will ever need. I checked them out and went back to Big Sis to order them for me.

When the shoes arrived, I was again beside myself with excitement. I put them on, went for a walk, and I must say they were very comfortable. So much so that I decided I needed another pair. You’re probably thinking that this was irresponsible on my part, but I was on a roll and nothing could stop me now.

Back to TikTok I went. I did it again. I found yet another brand of walking shoes. Of course they were advertised as the best shoes you will ever own, but his was perhaps my first TikTok disappointment. When I tried them on, they didn’t meet the “comfortableness level” of my first pair. I can justify their purchase, however, because I know that some day soon I will force myself to get up off the couch and go for a walk. And when I do, I am planning to alternate the shoes. Makes sense to me.

*The interesting thing about these three purchases is, I had never heard of any of the brands before I went on TikTok, which is proof again that social media marketing is really big business and apparently I am their target customer. That is, someone who returns to the site again and again and buys things again and again.👍

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

One of the more interesting purchases I made on TikTok is a reflex punching ball. Don’t ask me why, but I just had to have it. It’s a head band that has an elastic on it, with a small rubber ball attached to it. I saw a clip on TikTok assuring me that using this daily would not only help me lose weight, but it would help me work on my reflexes at the same time. Well, I couldn’t pass up that opportunity could I.

As soon as the package arrived, I tried it out right away, thinking that I should be able to pick this up pretty quickly. The guy in the video made it look so easy, so I was looking forward to hours of enjoyment and rapid, massive calorie burning. Boy I was ever wrong. Rather than me hitting the ball, I kept missing it, and needless to say it was really frustrating. I decided to persevere, however, and was proud to one day show off my skill to both Big and Middle. I think they were astounded and speechless.

So much so that they eagerly gave it a try. Of course their efforts were pathetic and I felt quite superior in my status as an accomplished “reflex ball thingy person.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice a significant weight loss and my reflexes are pretty much the same as always. Now, it sits in a drawer. Not one of the best purchases I have made. TikTok let me down on this one.

Things I Didn’t Need But Bought Anyway

In spite of my TikTok disappointments, I just can’t resist returning to the app. Try as I might, the pull is too strong. Not long ago I saw a sling bag that looked very attractive. It had lots of pockets, and a water bottle holder and it was screaming “buy me,” so I did. I am already the proud owner of several sling bags, so this was definitely an impulse purchase that I would ultimately regret. Buyers remorse anyone?

And in keeping with my fitness theme, I was recently intrigued by a fitness journal that I saw on…. wait for it…. TikTok! Once again I contacted my purchasing agent and within days it arrived. It is beautifully organized with all kinds of tabs and sections to write in. I love looking at it….and looking at it. Filling in the blanks not so much. Some day soon I will start to work out and I am confident this will keep me motivated and on track.

My Advice

I am keenly aware that I am fortunate to have a surplus of free time and unfortunate to have a strong attraction to online shopping. The two do not mix well. As you can see I have had both good and bad experiences and I offer my story as a lesson to those of you who may have just discovered TikTok. My advice? Proceed with caution my friends. It’s a slippery slope.