30 Days of Less- A Lesson

This morning I had a dentist appointment, and since Boy2 has a birthday party to go to this afternoon, I decided to go to Target to get the present, since there was a Target right next door. (This satisfies one of my 'new' rules-driving less and running errands together.)

Oh the joy of Target shopping with no children! It is not often that I get to go there without the constant background noise of "Can we go look at the toys?" "How much allowance do you owe us?" "Come on, Mom! I just want to look!" I grabbed a cart (mistake #1) and started to browse. I wandered through the Dollar Spot to see if there was something that I couldn't live without. I found the cutest fall cloth napkins, (One of Mary's tips, actually. Cloth napkins are much more economical in the long run.) some with pumpkins, others with leaves or acorns. They were packaged in twos, and were $2.50. You think I'm going to say that I bought them, don't you? HA! I resisted, and went on, even when the napkins were screaming after me.

So, off to the sporting department I went. For the party, for twins, I might add, I grabbed a soccer ball and a football. Most boys I know go through those things like hotcakes so sports balls are a frequent gift around here. They are also economical! I had picked up the football that was on special for $9.99, and the soccer ball was $8.99, so 2 gifts for less than twenty dollars sounded about right.

Moving right along. Since I had time I was wandering the outside aisle-you know the one-it has all of the discounted and clearance merchandise conveniently located on each endcap? Again, I amazed myself by not picking up one thing. I finally had gotten all the way around the store to the health/beauty section where I did need to pick up a few things. I ran out of my face cream yesterday morning, so I grabbed that. Deodorant? Check. Toothpaste? Check. Mmmm? Oh! We're almost out of shampoo and conditioner-Check, Check. Ok! Off to the check out lanes!

(Ooooh-handbags! Let me look! Oh. Eew. Who thinks any of this seasons handbags are cute? Even on clearance they suck. But I digress...)

I put all of my purchases on the belt and then it hit me. I left my wallet in my bible study bag last night.

I frantically dug through my purse to find anything that would amount to money to Target. Nada. Well, except for my checkbook. But no ID.

I told the checker what had happened, and she said that we should try it because sometimes the register doesn't ask for ID. Ok.

Items scanned, total $100.26, check written, ID required. Dang.

Hour wasted, but not all was lost!

Remember all of that 'stuff' that had made it to my basket? Well, I went back to the Target a little closer to my home and realized that there was a bunch of stuff that I really didn't need the first time around. So with wallet in hand I got what I REALLY needed (presents, face cream, qtips and deodorant,) for a total of $37.74. More than $60 savings! It really pays to think about your purchases. Yes, eventually I will have to get some of the other things but I'm not OUT of those things AND I can probably dig around and find suitable substitutes right here in the house, at least for the time being.

Lesson learned.