a near slip-up, sort of...

this week has been a busy one. i have been on the hunt all week for rain boots. i've asked everyone i know if they have some i can borrow. nope. none. nada. zilch. i went to goodwill and a couple consignment stores and called around. same thing...none.

so i resigned myself to the fact that i do in fact need these rain boots for this weekend. it is out in the wilderness and requires some walking down the prayer path...these boots will not only serve my feet, but also the feet of many others if they so choose. it is looking like there is no other option for me at this point.

so i called tj maxx to see if they had anything...one pair of super-cute key lime boots with hot pink lining in my size for my price. i told myself i wasn't going to spend over $20 and they were $19.99. God is good, all the time.

so, i decided in the stress of this week (my mother fell & broke her hip...looks like i will probably be primary in taking care of her recovery....and i have been busy planning for this weekend. a retreat for about 10 ladies from our church that i am lead teaching) to go ahead, take the plunge and buy the boots.

so you are probably thinking...isn't that a full fledged slip-up? well, not exactly in my brain. it is a "i have no choice" type of decision. the near slip-ups came at BOTH kmart and tj maxx when i happened to walk past the purse section.

ahhhh....the purse section. my favorite section of any store at any time...i have a problem with purses. they are beautiful, they store my stuff, they are so cute....and these were all on clearance. at kmart they were $3.99 for last years winter stuff. a super cute cream colored knitted one jumped into my hands before i even realized what was going on. it looked hand-made and so unusual. i seriously was considering & justifying it in my head and then i realized that i was doing this challenge. it is like when i get around purses, i lose my MIND! i swear. what is wrong with me?

so off to tj maxx to get my rain boots, when yet again i have to walk by the purses to get to the footwear. and once again i find myself in the same situation. brain gone, will power nowhere to be found and i have in my hand one of the most beautiful leather purses i have ever seen. it is a camel brown in a hobo style...smallish and so rich looking. it is on clearance for $89 (yikers!) but the strap is broken. so i chance it and take it to the manager, to see if they will take less...much less.

what do you think he said? nope, can't do it....it is already marked down so much. i continue to talk with him and he is firm on his no. then i realize once again that i am on this challenge and committing not to buying new stuff. i walk away with some self-control & pride that even though i lost my brain, i didn't really lose out...because i stuck to my challenge (with the exception of the rain boots!) and didn't buy either purse. everyone that knows me is probably so shocked and proud of me for that amount of self control. i seriously l-o-v-e purses.

my thought is, by the time the challenge is done, that purse will be marked down so much that i will be able to get it for the price i offered! it wouldn't be the first time.

*cross-posted at mint green mama