Lock up the Credit Cards!

It's that time of year again: shopping time. Now, I'm not a huge shopper, but I sure love me a bargain. And this is the time of year that you can't turn around without a bargain slapping you upside the head. I had been all finished with Chanukah shopping for everyone but my brother-in-law, but I got some coupons in the mail from JCPenney, and all of a sudden, I was at it again! To be fair, they were VERY good coupons -- $10 off a $10 purchase. I ended up paying just 12 bucks for merch that retails for $70. Not too shabby, huh? But did I NEED that stuff? Not in the slightest! And I really ought to be watching the budget closely for a few months, after splurging on the heaven-bed (which is still heavenly, thanks for asking). Now, $12 is hardly even a blip; the problem came when I realized that then I had one present more for my son than my daughter. I had wanted to get her a cute purse, but didn't see anything at JCP that I liked, so off I went to Target, where I didn't have any coupons to use. There I absolutely fell in love with the Harajuku Mini collection, which resulted in a nearly $45 outfit (purse, 3/4 sleeve shirt, flouncy skirt) for my daughter. Adorable, to be sure, but not the bargain I was looking for. At least I was able to pick up some groceries at the same time, so I know what I'm making for dinner!