Temptation
It’s the end of the month, and I’m paying bills.
It’s true I guess that the spirit of Christmas can linger for a very long time. Especially the spirit of Christmas shopping. But now I am full of remorse for how much money I have spent since Christmas.
Well, that’s sort of true, anyway. I am also totally delighted with all of the great stuff I bought:
– A red sweater with a cool back zipper -even though I have to wear my hair up when I wear that sweater or I get my hair caught in the zipper about every twenty seconds, but I like my hair up now so that’s fine;
– A blush, contour powder and highlighter, all in one compact that is too big to carry in my purse, but all three look so good swirled that I just had to buy a big puffy brush too to swirl it even better;
– A black sweater tunic that I really needed because I only have four black sweaters and this one is long and swingy and perfect with faded skinny jeans, even if it is so long that it hangs out over my longest winter jacket;
– Two jars of heart-shaped beets (Heart-beets – get it?) for my husband for Valentine’s Day, that only cost seven times what a jar of regular-shaped pickled beets costs (well fourteen times, because I bought two), but made up for the fact that I forgot to buy a Valentine card and then it snowed, and so I found last year’s card in a drawer and gave it to him again;
– Penny loafers in sweet strawberry-pink suede, made even sweeter because the penny slot is lilac, and I didn’t have any pink shoes and I didn’t have any lilac-decorated shoes, and I haven’t owned penny loafers since I was fourteen, so I had forty-nine years of pent-up desire that I didn’t even know I had until I saw them;
– An oversized striped baseball jersey – you know the kind with the raglan sleeves and a neckline that already looks stretched out and comfy and old, in a featherweight faded cotton that will be so cute in the summer, if summer ever comes;
– Three books that I know will change my life as soon as I read them, which will be right after my next ten blogs (and Level 207 in Pet Rescue);
– And of course the necessities – gas, oil, insurance, coffee, peanut butter, and a lipstick in a color called Rhubarb which is a lovely dusty rose, and is so much better than my last dusty rose lipstick which was called Rich Topaz which makes no sense at all.
So you can see, that I have shopped very wisely, but I might perhaps need just a teensy bit more self-control.
So after finishing my bill-paying, I made myself a small promise.
I will not buy anything else (except the necessities, but which includes lipstick, of course) for one full month.
I can do that for one month. Years ago, when I was poor, I was very frugal. For years on end, I was frugal. I can be frugal for one month.
So why oh why, did I have to see today the craziest good temptation? Crazy because I don’t like short-sleeved tees and I really don’t like tees with cutesy sayings. So why do I think this is the cutest thing I’ve seen (this week)?
I need this.
notquiteold 
I’ll look forward to your posts describing all the things you didn’t buy in the next month.
LikeLike
There are so many things not to buy!
LikeLike
I sure wish you lived closer to me; I could use some wardrobe advice…. (And that’s an adorable t-shirt!)
LikeLike
I can’t wait for the month to be up, so I can buy it. (and I have thought about being a personal shopper after I retire, but I fear that I will shop by the method “one for them, one for me.”)
LikeLike
Good luck! On a like note, I told A earlier today that I am going to end my posting binge with a five-day no posting streak. My hopes exceed my expectations . . .
LikeLike
But posting is FREE!
LikeLike
yes, yes, yes and yes to everything you bought (except no for me on skinny jeans). Loved the heart beets and lilac loafers. The loafers make me think of Easter, which makes me think of daffodils. Joy !!
LikeLike
The loafers are not those big heavy clunky kind either, they are more of a ballet flat. Oh so cute! And since they are suede, I didn’t have to wait until Spring to wear them!
LikeLike
You shop-a-holic, you. Good luck with the month of not spending. I admit that for me it would be impossible.
LikeLike
I can do it…maybe…perhaps if I work on my novel and not open any emails from stores, and not look at Pinterest, or any magazines….
LikeLike
…and not go to any shopping centres either.
Great idea, working on the novel. Have you given yourself a deadline?
LikeLike
I’m two-thirds of the way through my third draft. I probably could finish it in a month if I applied myself.
LikeLike
Do it then!! And stay focussed; you can do it. You. have the skills; now just apply the drive. Believe you can and you will 🙂
LikeLike
I think clothing is considered a necessity! And you can never have enough shoes! 😉
LikeLike
I agree! You can never have enough shoes. And that also applies to jeans and sweaters and jewelry too.
LikeLike
Every time I suffer from a little bit of guilt over something totally awesome that I’ve bought (and it’s ALWAYS on sale; I only shop the sale racks) my husband says, “Does it make you happy?” If I say “Yes” (which I always do), he says, “Then it was worth the money.” And I believe him! Would love to see those lilac penny loafers (I’m a mauve/purple-aholic – my big after Christmas purchase was a buttery-soft, long, purple leather jacket from Danier – it was 70% off!!!! And it definitely makes me happy!)
LikeLike
Very good philosophy!
LikeLike
Love this post! I have had to be very good the past three years… I am dying to go out on a crazy shopping spree, but know that won’t happen for a while… so, thanks, I lived vicariously through you… 😉
LikeLike
Let’s just say I save vicariously through you…
LikeLike
You crack me up. Who’s watching you so temptation doesn’t have a chance?
I don’t begrudge you any necessities and really, a new lipstick is a necessity, and…and…and.
😀
LikeLike
No one is watching me. That’s the whole root of the problem. But now I have some readers who will keep an eye on me.
LikeLike
Be careful what you wish for. We shall come calling when you least expect it. Ha ha ha.
LikeLike
Can you buy the T next month? 😉 And what is your current favorite lipstick? Enjoyed this post 🙂
LikeLike
There is certainly a chance that I will buy that tee in exactly a month. I hate to say what my favorite lipstick is, because I am so fickle and in a week I may hate it…. (but this week it is a brand called Bite in the shade called Rhubarb. Fairly matte and quite long wearing)
LikeLike
Perfect! And I hear you 🙂 Thanks for sharing ❤
LikeLike
I think you need the t to remind you. This might be a necessity, maybe. I love the list of your shopping. The loafers, I might need those, I don’t have any pink shoes since my closet recently was raided. I think you can do a month, though March is a long month you know.
LikeLike
I know. I should have picked February. But I will go from Feb 25, when I wrote this, to March 25. Four weeks. Not that it will be easy, I got 39 sales-pitch emails just yesterday.
LikeLike
That T has your name written all over it. OK, not all over it, but it was certainly designed for you. You have made me wonder if I will ever see Penny Loafers in Canada again. We don’t have pennies anymore so they will have to be nickel or dime loafers.
LikeLike
There are third world countries than are less deprived than you – you went all those years without pink suede penny loafers? Thank goodness that wrong has been righted.
LikeLike
I know! My life is SO HARD!
LikeLike
I’m sure you love this tee for the same reasons I do. 🙂
LikeLike
I would buy that shirt, too, if I had her body.
LikeLike
BTW, her left arm has been Photoshopped. It’s much shorter than her right arm, unless she has scoliosis.
LikeLike