I'm a girl.
At my core, I want to be surrounded by pretty things.
Okay, maybe I need to have pretty things in my life.
Finding that balance is an on-going battle for me. Sometimes I give in, and I let a case of want-itis take over. And sometimes, I feel rejuvenated afterwards. Other times, I feel worse than before.
Does this make me sound like a drug addict?! I really hope not.
Want-itis - (noun) An incredible urge to procure STUFF. Clothes, accessories, home goods, decorations, gadgets, etc.
Synonyms: Crave-able, I-needs-its, yes please!, OMG - LOVE!, gottahaveitnow
Example Sentence: The woman suffered from a case of want-itis when she chose to purchase a new handbag over her Roth IRA deposit.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against shopping. I'm against losing control to the evil wants.
Anyway, I'm finding ways to cope with want-itis. It really battles with my budget and gets me feeling guilty. I could whine and say that I am "merely a product of my consumer-driven society," but that just sounds...well... whiny. Adults don't whine. They get creative.
I got creative this week. I did something I don't usually trust myself to do.
I window shopped.
I cruised the mall and fingered the new Fall lines at JCrew and Banana Republic. I smiled at the sales associates and scoured the clearance racks. I held back and controlled my urge to bolt into the dressing room. I knew that was going to take it too far. Once you undress with new clothes, you kind of cross that line. There's no way you can hang them back after such intimacy. Am I right, ladies? I don't trust myself that much.
New, pretty things were not in the budget this week, but I'm sure I can squeeze them in soon. Having that control over my wallet makes me feel mature and powerful in a pretty amazing way. In my younger 20's I would have impulsed and given in to the want-itis. Not now. Especially not with my daughter watching me with her knowing toddler ways. I want to teach her how she can feel pretty AND empowered, all at the same time. Part of that is keeping on a budget.
Another perk of window shopping? Harry and David coffee sample! Mine tasted like apple pie, and satisfied me without turning into a Starbucks five-buck fiasco.
Overall, I actually felt really uplifted after my brief window-shopping excursion. I was lured into the stores, but once I was there, I felt swayed by very few pieces. That must be a side effect of frugality. Picky spender.
