I walked into Sam’s Club two days ago to buy a present for Caleb. On a special display table they were selling “one time only” items. These are items that Sam’s doesn’t usually carry, but for one time only they’re available. One of the items they were offering was a black, 30GB Ipod. They were selling it for $289, instead of the usual $299.
At one time, I was considering buying a 4 GB Nano, but then I got to looking at the new 30 GB Ipod and decided that for only 50 dollars more I could buy 26 more GB’s and be able to play video. I’ve been accumulating gifts certificates from Amazon for about a year now and I plan on using them to buy the 30 GB Ipod when the time is right. Now is definitely not the right time.
Even though I had no intention of buying one, I asked the guy running the display table how many they had in stock, because I knew that Ipod’s are pretty hard to come by right now. When he told me that he had only two left, I was overwhelmed with the urge to buy one. There was something about the idea of getting one of the last two they had and getting a $10 discount that I found irresistible. Never mind that Sam’s wouldn’t take my Amazon gift certificates and that a $10 dollar discount on a $300 item isn’t much to blog about.
I called Heather and jokingly told her about it, hoping she would say, “Why don’t you go ahead and get it!” but she didn’t. I then walked to the back of the store and found the toy I was looking for, grabbed it, and then spent about five minutes circling the “one time only” table, all the while doing my best to look interested in everything but the Ipod. Finally, I manfully made my way to the check out line, paid for Caleb’s toy, and walked to my car–sans the Ipod.
I can’t believe how hard it was. The consumer urge is unreal this time of year. Two days later, I’m really glad that I didn’t buy it. I’m even more glad that when I went back into Sam’s today, they had sold their last two Ipods.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
My Dad grew up on a poor farming community in rural West Tennessee. Often he had little money with which to buy things. When he did have money he developed the habit of asking himself “Do I really need this?? He tells me that asking himself that little question got him out of a lot of poor financial decisions. To this day when I have my doubts about a purchase I ask myself the same question. It’s a very powerful reminder of the difference between wants and needs.
Thanks for sharing you story.
It is amazing how it pulls at you….especially when I am shopping for someone else! I can resist the impulse more easily when I am shopping for myself, then I am determined to get exactly what I need (or sometimes want) but when that urge hits……
Merry Christmas Wade. Thanks for the blessing of your blog!
Wade- your not kidding. I have this urge to buy a used car- and I only have 3 payments left on my other car.
I have to fight it….
Now were you thinking of buying that 30GBer for Caleb? As a child, I often tried to get my mom to help me buy my dad a puppy for his birthday or a minibike as his Christmas present. Oh, the joy of giving. I would love to chat more but I’m off to buy Traci a new plasma screen with the ESPN Bowl Party Pass included. Again, oh, the joy of giving!
Watch your back this Sunday! You NEVER know who might show up now do you?? Hee hee hee…
It almost makes me feel dirty working part time at Best Buy.
Stay strong Brother… you can do it! Stick it to The Man!
Check out the refurbished iPods on Apple’s site. You can save a lot more, and they still have 90-day guarantees and 1-year warranties on them. Or go to Target and get a $99 shuffle. You can get four hours of play time before it needs re-charging.
Sorry to tempt you… 😉