“We have to cut back.” M says quietly, knowing how much money talk makes me anxious. “We spend on average $600 at Target each month. That’s just insane.”
I start to argue, “It’s meds! It’s essentials!”, but deep in my gut I know that the three different kinds of shower cleaners aren’t all essential, nor the cute shoes for C, or the fifteenth ball we picked up last month. So I agree; no more Target, at least for a little while.
All month long I catch myself thinking that I should just pop in for something or other: new face cream, night time diapers for Little L, maybe check out the new purses, but I resist the urge of the big red bull’s eye and I force myself to get my essentials at the grocery store. By the end of the month I find myself not even really missing the wide clean aisles filled with a million things I never even knew I needed urgently.
Yesterday M went through our monthly expenses and reported excitedly that we’d saved more than he’d dared hope. Money saved right and left, easing a bit the financial stress my lack of work has imposed on us. I heaved a sigh of relief; all my skimping paid off.
And yet, today, as I headed to the Forbidden Land for the first time in over a month, on an important mission to chose a birthday gift for one of C’s classmates, I felt a bit of trepidation. Would I be able to walk past the overflowing dollar bins? Would I have the strength to head straight for the toy department without detouring through hair care? I pulled into a parking spot near the sliding glass entrance and sat in my car for a while watching people go in and out. Then I headed into Target and braved all the temptation.
I’m proud to report that I walked out a half an hour later holding just one bag. It contained exactly one present for a little girl celebrating her 3rd birthday tomorrow, no more, no less. Maybe I finally won the right to no longer consider Target as a forbidden zone, but I’m not holding my breath. I think M has a very clear idea of just how quickly I might let my guard down in the face of a great sale.
This post was inspired by the Sunday Scribblings prompt “Forbidden.” Click here to read other great entries.
Good Girl, Be Strong.
You did it, didn’t you?!
locked in the attic
Kill Word Veriication
Smart M! And strong you!
Good for you! BJ
This is a moral we can all take to heart. My house is too full of things that get little use.
Oh, I can SOOO relate to this! When we started doing Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, I had to get over my Target addiction. Three years later it is still hard to walk through Target without filling my cart, but I do so much better. Mostly I try just NOT to go unless I absolutely must!
Money talks are never easy, and when they involve changing habits they are hard. but at least this time to conquered your red-dot addiction.
Willpower with a capital W. Congratulations!
I feel the same way about WalMart and my husband works there so it’s even worse because I can justify my shopping because I get a 10 percent discount. LOL! I have never had the chance to get addicted to Target just because I haven’t let myself but every time I go in there it’s like I just want to buy, buy and buy. Maybe it’s the color red :-).
It’s so true – we walk in to Target or Ikea with the idea that we’re going to save but end up buying things we don’t need. Good for you! Hang on to that discipline!
OMG, the dollar bins are totally dangerous! I usually end up spending $5-$20 in that section alone!
Good for you for staying away!
I guess I’m lucky we don’t have a Target anywhere near us. Unfortunately, we’ll soon be moving to a city with more shopping possibilities than I even want to this about. I’m going to focus on spending less now so that it can become a habit by the time we move.
Hey, now that you are spending $600 less, you can afford a car payment! 😉
This is something alot of us need to be doing these days, saving money. Congrats on avoiding temptation.