Holidays are dangerous for spenders

I have a wonderful job in that I can't take lunch breaks outside the office. At first, it irritated me to no end. How could they stop me from walking outside, having lunch at a restaurant with friends or even coffee out? What about errands? It's now a blessing in disguise. My work is situated near a trendy street with a good amount of shops and restaurants and I probably would have spent lots of money I don't have on stuff I don't really need.

Free time can be dangerous for a debtor like myself.

For example. I had this entire week off for the Passover holiday. Lovely, eh? But today I roamed around the local mall, and decided to do the holiday thing and spend money on myself. I wandered into my favorite clothing store and tried on a bunch of stuff. I walked out with two things - a top and a pair of pants.

This was an impulsive buy. I had the money for it, but the articles of clothing were not to be on my shopping list until August when clothing is 50%. I tried to assuage my guilt by thinking to myself that the clothing I bought may have sold out by the time the sales hit. I just hoped for a better day and am thankful that the holiday is nearly over. Because then I can stay in my "lock-up" job where they won't let me out for lunch breaks, and I'll be able to save myself from myself.

Gratefulness

That list I posted yesterday was quite the long list. Instead of feeling frustrated over not being able to get everything I want when "I" want to, instead of when my Higher Power (HP) or God wants me to, I know that eventually I'll get to some, and even perhaps most of what's on my list in its right time.

My HP/DA group helps me withstand the evil temptation that I have to go out and debt, and buy all those things I need/would like right away like shower doors (right now we are showering without any doors in the bathroom), a new couch, an LCD tv, replacing our plastic chairs for the dining area with real chairs.

So the other day, Hubby, in that voice full of temptation, tells me "Come, let's just go and get everything we need. Why not?" He's testing me. He is waiting for me to break and go on a wicked holiday spending spree with him. Why wait a year, two or three for these things, when you can just take a pocketsize plastic card with you and charge all those wonderful things to furnish a house?? It's just not the 21st century way!

But I held steadfast, and am grateful to my HP for granting me the ability to tell him "no."