Shameful Lapse

I'm feeling as red faced as the bag I just bought. I went to Costco yesterday (the start of my downfall, I shoud have stayed well away from temptation) and joked with my partner as I went off to "stroke" the bag, only to discover it had been reduced in price to £17. Now, despite all my rationalizing that I do not need another bag, I suddenly found a great array of reasons why I do need one after all. A sample of some of the justifications were: it'll help me organize my son's feeding with all its little compartments, so I'll save money; how can I not, now it's half price? I deserve a treat for not buying anything for the last two weeks; They're clearly gong to stop stocking this line as it's been reduced - and it's the last red one. I was hoping my OH would help steel my resolve but even he suggested that you can't take it with you when you go. I'm feeling ashamed and weak, guilty in fact, but at the time of buying it, I'm sure if someone had checked my heart rate and BP, they would have been raised. In fact I felt quite light headed, euphoric as I batted the "should I shouldn't I?" debates round and round.

I'm pounding along on the hedonic treadmill. How long before this bag loses its shine?

The Prochaska and Diclemente model of behaviour change suggests that lapse is only one stage of the cycle of change (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance being the others). It would seem that my preparation for this life style change was inadequate so maybe I need to have a rethink, perhaps set some ground rules for myself?

Other than this huge faux pas on a blog entitled The Abstemious Life, I only purchased grocery items from Costco. Nevertheless, I managed to spend £103. I justify again that it's all in bulk so should last me longer...

My further spending yesterday was £6 at the healthfood store, all food stuffs.

Today was a little better: no bags! £11 at Holland and Barrett (food again) and £1.12 on my son's first toothbrush. This too may be a consumer waste as my partner told me after the event that the dentist advised him there's no need to clean a baby's teeth unless you are giving him sweets or sweet drinks. Is baby dental hygiene just another clever ploy of the marketing people to get us to spend our hard earned cash? Plus, I don't have time to clean the baby's teeth. All the other stuff is time consuming enough!

A lovely day out in the city centre meant I spent £24 on various lunches, drinks etc and £8 on stationary for my business.

So, on day 3 it would seem that I can't survive without: bags (need to do some reflecting on that one), health food items, bulk buys of groceries, baby toothbrushes (the jury's out) and stationary for my business. Oh, and lunches...