Buyer's Remorse.

 

 

This is Emily Compton, a recurring guest contributer to "I'm Rambling." Emily has been a friend of mine since the fourth grade. Her unpublished works, such as the "Igor Gogel Giggleheimer Schmidt" series, are as yet, undiscovered classics. Stay tuned for more from this amazing author.

 

 

 

 

Buyer’s Remorse

Ahhhh, the holidays. The happiest time of the year. When people give thanks for their families, friends and blessings. And when we go shopping to show how much we love one another. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday & Tuesday were all created by the media and businesses for us consumers to go out and buy, buy, buy.

 

I get the implications of these shopping days on our economy. I did buy a pair of pants for myself from a locally owned clothing shop on Saturday. I spent more on these pair of pants than I will probably spend on my children’s Christmas gifts. I did need a new pair of pants, I did not need the pants I bought. They are black, tight & shiny and look fantastic on. They are still in the bag sitting on my dresser. When will I wear these pants? I don’t think they are appropriate for a construction site, so I won’t be wearing them to work. My upcoming weekends will be spent at hockey games and the ski valley, so I won’t be wearing them then. I can’t remember the last time the hubby and I went out for a date night, (we’re terribly broke and going out is an expense we can’t afford). But I can afford an incredibly expensive pair of pants……

 

These big ticket items are always so enticing when they’re on the rack, but a little nerve racking when you get them home. I bought a new car in June, and while I totally needed a new car, once I got it home I freaked out a bit. My previous car was paid off, and 5 months later I’m still trying to adjust to the monthly payment. And I wisely dropped almost half of my car payment on new pants.

 

And I want more - I want expensive jewelry, which I will probably never wear – I already have lots of jewelry that sits in a box, the only jewelry I ever wear are my wedding rings & watch. I want new skis – I already have two beautiful like new pairs of skis (these I would use). I want to travel – specifically I want to go to the Jazz Fest in New Orleans next April, but if we do travel, we should go to New Jersey to visit Corey’s family. NEW BOOTS! I have six pairs of boots, but I love, love, love boots.

 

Every year at this time I start to think about us as consumers. We need, want, have to have so much, but do we really? The media plays all this up so well, we are forced to believe that we can lead a lifestyle our incomes can’t sustain. The term “champagne taste on a beer budget” totally applies to my life and to lives of many of the people I know. Our real needs are the simple things – we all know this. A roof over our heads, our dear friends and families, yet we still feel like we need all the extra “stuff”.

 

So I think tomorrow I will wear a bunch of jewelry and my new shiny black pants to work. I think I’ll also wear a pair of boots.