The Best Kept Secret Blog - The Month of Living Frugally - Day 3 - It's Like Sending A Recovering Alcoholic To The Bar

Popped into mall to pick up Thank-You notes at card shop.

Eschew convenient parking spot close to card shop entrance in favour of parking at opposite end of mall. Sadly [What's the emoticon for sarcastic, eye rolling smirk?], am forced to run the gauntlet of women's clothing stores en route to card shop. Steel myself and make silent promise not to enter any store but the card shop.

Half way there am stopped in tracks by the most beautiful pair of boots I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE displayed in shoe store window. Feeling slightly fevered and with trickle of drool now running down my chin, I enter shoe store in dreamlike state and ask friendly clerk to bring me a pair in size 8.

As I wait for her to return with the most beautiful pair of boots I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, I push away the creeping sensation of guilt and begin rationalizing why these boots are not an impulse buy but a necessity. Fortunately, just when I'm getting stuck at the part about why I need more boots when I already own six pairs, the sales clerk returns empty handed.

They don't have my size but she can phone another store and have them sent in. I know a reprieve when I see one. I tell her no thanks and flee the shoe store before I can change my mind.

Clearly, I've dodged a bullet.

Lesson Learned: Cut out idle browsing.