The first time we started using it, we thought it would just be a bit of fun, a one-time thing. “Let’s just give it a try,” my fiancée said. I was a bit nervous, but I knew some of our friends were already into it, and they said it was fine and that I should relax because everyone was doing it. “OK,” I agreed, convinced it would be harmless. I have never so wrong in my entire life Before long, we were using it once a week. Then it became twice a week. We went from using it after work to using it in the mornings, and then at lunchtime, too. Suddenly we reached a point where we were using it every day. Even when I wasn’t using it, I was thinking about using it. That’s when I realized the terrible truth. We couldn’t stop. Dear readers, it shames me to admit it, but I am an addict of online shopping site Taobao. And I don't think I’m the only one. I see the telltale signs everywhere: People with bags under their eyes, clearly exhausted after staying up late selecting items they might one day need (but probably won’t) , like the 1940s leather aviator cap I bought in the event I ever need to become an aviator in the 1940s. I see co-workers furtively ( 偷偷摸摸地) sneaking down to the mailroom, eyes moving around uncertainly. I know what's going through your mind as you read this. “This isn’t me , ” you’re thinking, “I can stop anytime I want.” But can you? In China you can get same day delivery for just about anything you buy online. In Australia, my home country, the same item would take weeks to arrive. “It's the convenience," I said to my fiancée. “That’s why we're hooked.” But is that convenience worth the risk of waking up one morning to discover you’ve been buried alive in masses of brand new women’s shoes? In my case it’s probably not, especially because I suspect my fiancée won’t realize I'm missing until weeks later, when my credit card stops working and I've long since expired. So what can you do to battle this terrible addiction? Never fear, dear readers, because I've created a special five-step list to help you stop online shopping. Step 1 : Admit you have a problem. Resist buying adult-sized, Star Wars Storm trooper outfit on Taobao. You don’t really need it. Step 2 : Try not to feel guilty about buying adult-sized, Star Wars Storm trooper outfit on Taobao. Step 3 : Put the computer and smartphone away, get back to nature, and take a walk in the park. Step 4 : Try not to feel guilty about buying a new outfit for your walk in the park. I mean, it was on sale, right? Step 5 : Buying a book on how to quit Taobao...from Taobao. On second thoughts, maybe don’t listen to me, after all.