Situation: Anthropologie has beautiful sweaters, many over $100. True statement pieces. Miss Em is swooning over a few. They go on sale seldom, if at all. Besides, this is not a good year for sales. Retailers, stung by overstock during the financial meltdown, do not have huge inventories. Next year will probably be a better year for sales.
Mother's View: Well, I am pathological. So my instinct is to say NO. Or rather, my instinct is to say WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR. Buying a pricey sweater now means that you won't be able to take advantage of later opportunities. Also, I know from experience that indulging just leads to more indulging. At least for most people. I also know from experience that ketchup and moths--or the worst, mustard--seek out your newest and most expensive items.
Complicating matters. Shopaholic Grandma offered to buy the sweater in lieu of a $100.00 cash gift. Also, Miss Em has several hundred dollars in her debit account, so she could buy it if she wanted to.
So, we turn the mic over to Miss Em. Miss Em, why have you not purchased the sweater???
Daughter's view:
Let me first point out: the sweater I want is not $100. It is $79.95, reduced from $148. That's a little better. I think.
Did you know brushing your teeth with your non-preferred hand can increase will power? Well, so can rejecting something you really really (REALLY!) want. It gets easier every time. Practice--putting down gorgeous and cheap Talbots merch. Practice--saying no to an Anthropologie sweater you've been lusting over for months that's finally gone on sale. Practice--not taking home a gorgeous $3 Banana Republic skirt at Goodwill because, let's face it, you already have a lot of skirts.
It's hard, especially when I know I can get the Anthro sweater. We save on so many other things!
But the fact remains that I buy a lot. That fact is always ready to confront me in the form of a little purple notebook in which I record of all my clothing purchases. I write down every. little. thing. By month, I tally number of items and total cost. The facts are there, and since starting this little journal, I feel much more able to make level-headed decisions (trust me, the beauty of this Anthro sweater is enough to make anyone woozy). I've only kept it about six months now. I'm hoping that the same way it's shown me how much I've bought over that time, it will show how little I buy over the next six months. Just in time to justify a spectacular Anthropologie sweater!
Bring it on.
Readers, how do you resolve these internal conflicts?
P.S. Here is a picture of the sweater. I didn't think it would EVER go on sale--it's too nice! The day it did, it sold out of almost every size within 24 hours. Sigh.
Is that the essence of beauty, or what?
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