[img]396|left|Alex Campbell||no_popup[/img]When I was 38 years old, I had an “almost mid-life” crisis while shopping. Shopping at 38 is so different than shopping at 18. I’ve noted the occasions that are Not Cool with (NC).
I got ready by not taking a shower (NC). Sometimes I don’t shower because I have sensitive skin. A dermatologist once told me I shouldn’t take a shower every day because it dries out the skin. Plus I read the same thing once in a book I bought from a dermatologist to the stars. So it doesn’t mean I’m dirty or gross because I don’t take a shower every once in awhile. It just means I’m following the advice of dermatologists. They don’t make thousands of dollars a year to be wrong.
I took advantage of the post-Christmas sales happening at the only store I have a credit card with. I knew I’d be trying on lots of jeans, because that’s what I was shopping for. It’s good to be prepared for what you’re going to buy so that you don’t spend all day just wandering around (NC). Since I knew I’d be trying on lots of clothes, I wore a pair of easy-on/off sweatpants (NC).
When I got to the store, I forgot about my goal of buying jeans for a moment and went right to the Christmasland section. Not much there, except a couple of Christmas CDs, which would make good presents for next year. They were $9.99. I asked the woman standing in front of the Chirstmasland sign if the CDs were 50 percent off like the other things, and she said, “Everything.” I was very happy to get CDs for such a low price.
Oh, Good, There Is More
As I walked to the register, my eyes caught sight of a box of very colorful melamine mixing bowls. I wasn’t in the market for mixing bowls, but they were so cute, each one a different size and rainbow color, and I knew they’d last for years. I played The Price Game in my head. It’s a game I made up where you see something you want, and you decide before you look at the tag how much you’d be willing to pay for it. If the price is more than what you’d said, you don’t buy it. I decided that I’d pay $20 for the bowls. I turned the box over and saw that they were $29.99. Then I played the It’s Not That Much More Game, where you forget the price you had agreed upon with yourself and decide that the price of the item is not that much more than what you had said anyway, so you buy it.
I had received a bunch of coupons in the mail that I was going to use (NC), but I had forgotten them. I asked the cashier if she had a coupon I could use (NC). She rolled her eyes and sighed, “No problem.” As she rang up the CDs, I said, “Those are 50 percent off, right?” (NC). She said she had to check.
She literally walked to the other side of the store to check, and came back five minutes later saying that they weren’t 50 percent off. I told her that the woman at that section told me they were, so maybe she should look into it (NC). She got on the phone to someone and checked, and told me that cards and gift wrap were the only things that were 50 percent off, and asked if I still wanted the CDs. I said that I did, but told her that the employees should really be on the same page as far as prices went (NC).
I finally went to the jeans section, my body temperature rising as I lugged two shopping bags while wearing a down coat. I flipped through jean after jean, trying to find my size. I got a few pairs and went to the fitting room.
One of the pairs I tried on actually had the beginnings of a hole purposely put in, which I thought was ridiculous (NC). Nevertheless, they fit, and having jeans fit is more important than what they look like (NC).
I got the jeans without getting snitty with the cashier, and went home to take a nap (NC).
I may not be cool while shopping, but at least I saved some money, got a gift for a friend, and am prepared for any baking emergency that arises.
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at campbellalexandra@hotmail.com
