I went shopping the other day. First I visited a big store that had a special sale going on for senior citizens. I was very good. I brought a list and a copy of the sale bill so I could get JUST what I needed. As I was filling my basket I had a thought. I wondered if a nearby discount store could do better on the price of some of the things I usually get at the store I was in.
I needed no other excuse than that. Off I went...merrily, merrily heading toward my ultimate Waterloo. Yes, that is a bag from the discount store. As you see, I have blocked out the name so I will not be accused of infringing on anyone's rights to free enterprise and making a quick buck.
I should have known better. As soon as I entered the door, my mind left me. I had no list. I had no goal. Of course, my reason for going there was to do a little comparison shopping. Now that is a joke.
I wandered the aisles with my shopping cart gradually filling with all sorts of things. Everything was something I really, really needed and could not live without. The more I had, the more I wanted. I was Under The Spell.
What spell, you might ask. I firmly believe that this huge discount store has a special machine that is installed near its entrance. When shoppers walk in, they are sprayed with an invisible and odorless substance that enters their blood stream, blocking out all common sense, replacing it with the overwhelming desire to buy, Buy, BUY.
How do I know this? When I went to check out I looked at my basket. Where in the world did those cookies come from? And three T-shirts with sayings such as "I'm with him because he appreciates the finer things in Life"? How about ten copies of the latest TV magazines? And I don't even watch TV. Yarn for projects I will never do. Shoes I can't even get on my feet. Socks, underwear, swim suits? When was the last time I wore a swim suit? I couldn't remember.
And so I contend that this super seller of a store has a secret weapon that they use each and every day. Regardless of how determined you are to only get what you need, you will not emerge unscathed.
Oh no. Because you are under the spell.......
i don't do it very often, but on occassion i will go to that store and just walk up and down every aisle and sometimes just buy a random thing or two. today i went with a very specific list and actually only added a cantalope to it. then i worried because i thought the cantalope may have come from guatemala or something, but it actually came from california. i watched a documentary called "no impact man" the other day. so i'm still thinking about all the ways we spend on nonsense? but on the other hand some of those nonsense things seem to make life a little bit more interesting? hmmmmmm .... not too sure about that one. i'm rambling...good night.--karen
ReplyDeleteI am trying to stay out of stores unless I have a list or need something specific. Of course, since we are outfitting the new house, that is hard. We do a little prelim shopping, just to see what they have. And we usually end up buying something. Really need to pay attention...but then again, as you say, we have had some good buys that way too. :-)
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