Tips for watching your budget this festive season

The shopping habits of today have moved beyond needs or necessities. Gone are the days when it meant hoarding on discounted items for the sake of cost cutting, or plain grocery shopping. The modern world looks at it as sheer indulgence, a hobby and even a compulsive disorder for some. 

Market surveys suggest little disparity between figures splurged by men and women though their nature of expenditures varied greatly, for obvious reasons. With the rise of upper middle class, people have no dearth of money to spend on lavish treats. And the markets are filled with an overwhelming variety more than ever.

 However, this shopping spree, certainly goes overboard when the festive season arrives. The malls more glittery, bars in Delhi more cheerful and restaurants more inviting than ever, you would easily destroy your budget and wouldn’t realize until later. This over-indulgence often becomes the show-spoiler for most average families.

 

 

Flea markets in Delhi can be a good alternative to this. With competitive rates and only so much to choose from, you would be able to restrict yourself to bare necessities while still striking a fair deal. You can even barter great deals for old stuff or bargain till death, which is obviously out of question at your favourite mall.
 

Besides, try making a list of necessities arranged in a hierarchy. Get on to it with a set mind and stop to look at other things only when you are done with it. This can be tough but self-restraint is the key to sticking to any kind of budget.
 

 Revisit the branded items on your shopping list. Everything you buy doesn’t has to be from the top international brand at your favourite mall. Strike down those that are easily available with local vendors at a much lower price.
 

So, with these tips you can watch your budget while shopping for the festivals.

International Brands Taking A Foothold In Delhi

The fashion feud in the national capital has gone beyond just the local players. India having clearly restored its sheen in the eyes of brands from world over has seen increased percolation from foreign brands—Delhi being the main entry channel. Around 80% foreign marques in India register their presence through the NCR, Mumbai falling close behind at 70%. Names like Armani, Louis Vuitton, Burberry Brit, Tiffany’s, Zara, Only etc. are no longer unheard of.

 
Moreover, the splurging is not limited to fashion brands alone. . Luxury brands in particular have setup their base. Consumer services such as Delhi gyms, Jacuzzis, wellness and beauty centres etc. have their fair share of clientele. The recent fitness buzz has done wonders to the industry and has opened many new trade opportunities.
 

 

This can be attributed to a series of high-end malls and Delhi shopping centres in the capital which register huge foot-falls, unimaginable in the western world. The city has several opulent shopping destinations up its sleeve like Select CityWalk, DLF Imporio, and Great India Place etc. The best brands in Delhi are housed within these along with lavish entertainment options. They offer the right ambience and environment to foster shopping and leisure. Besides these are the go-to places for capital’s best spendthrifts. Season’s biggest sale carnivals are held at these which easily bag in trade in 8 figures in a single day. 
 

Besides this, the natural preference towards Delhi is also guided by the economic and demographic dynamics of the city. The affluent middle class is also a prime contributor to the expanding retail footprints of global brands.  People, who previously resorted to clear out sales only, are ready to splurge on international goods.

Which Gym Accessories Do You Really Need?

It’s not just obesity that is driving the youth towards gyms and health clubs. Fitness is the new buzz word. A well-chiselled body with shapely abs is a trend and youngsters are ready to sweat out profusely and spend almost any amount on their physique. And with gymnasiums conveniently stationed at Malls in Delhi, the accessory stores are the obvious destinations on the way.

However, amid a cartload of options of equipment and paraphernalia, it is essential to know which ones you really need, if any at all. Weight lifting belt is one such accessory, which is usually used incorrectly or unnecessarily, says a Delhi Gym trainer.

It is one of the most commonly used gym accessory, though, hardly 2% of the people using it actually need one. Most men wear it all through the work-out, or even if for weights, they are usually not required. Essentially, these are meant for very heavy weight training—often meaning heavy sets of squats and deadlifts. Someone on heavy weight training can damage the core, hence the protective support gear. However, using it for biceps curls and bar lifts is completely unnecessary. 

Also, for starters, it’s not just unnecessary but ill-advised to use it as it prevents strength build-up in the middle section. The use is only advised when you have climbed up the ladder on your weight lifting program and really feel one is necessary either for providing the extra support to your back or the intra-abdominal pressure that increases the lifting capacity slightly.

Well. There’s a lot more to be said in context to the same, but have saved it aside for the next post…till then stay hooked to the space ….

On The Highway to Enlightenment

I am not really a movie-buff; a cinematic experience is like once in a blue moon affair for me. Yet, when I put a foot into the theater, I can’t imagine settling for anything less than an absolutely thrilling encounter. 

That I am always riding high on filmy expectations is probably one of the reasons why they are, more often than not, met with a disappointment. The urge to see a movie clenches me like hell and heaven woven together, and going by the recent experience at PVR Saket, it was the latter that powerfully conquered the former.

Dancing to the tunes of ‘Patakha Guddi’ this time, I gladly hopped onto the ‘Highway’. I wasn’t really hoping to catch it, the truck that would take me to the bitter-sweet journey, but all thanks to PVR and PVR cinema timings, by 5.30, I was all good to go.

Highway is beautiful, though in a peculiar sense. The edifice is strong enough to arouse even in the most stone-hearted the emotions of, well, bafflement. It leaves one grappling with one’s own sentiments and inklings, and to figure out whether you loved it or just plain hated it will tip you over the edge. But you can choose either. Hate it or love it, it would leave you moved.

The movie doesn’t reek of drama. There is no permeating background score whose edifice could move you. Yet you will feel choked by the narrative of it, which is blatant, in an innocuous manner though.

Highway will leave you gratified. It will urge you to seek answers to questions which are non-existing, or those that have never been raised up before.  It will further propel your alter ego to claw itself from the deepest, dirty slump- slump of the insane, and that of the unacceptable.

Riddled with beauty and darkness alike, Highway portrays an enlightening picture. Or maybe it is a little devastating, too. It paints a problematic picture, yet for every turn you will take on the truck, you will be left grasping for breath. 

That’s it. Highway!