Confession: I tend to make impulsive decisions when it comes to shopping.
The rest of my life is conservative and over-analyzed (well, as much as it can be) but when it comes to buying things, I am an easy target.
For whatever reason, I cannot say no to salespeople!
It’s really quite awful.
For example, one time I bought a magazine subscription from a kid who had just tried to pull a raccoon out of a sewer. I should have known he wasn’t a legitimate magazine-salesman (is there such a thing?).
Not Surprisingly I never got a single magazine.
In another impulse buy time I bought a haircut on a street corner.
You know those people who tell you that you look like you need a haircut and offer to sell you a certificate to a salon you’ve never heard of? Well, they sold me a certificate for a hair cut but I had just gotten my hair done the day before and never redeemed it at the salon.
Fail.
A few months ago I even bought the Sunday subscription to a newspaper my Husband worked for.
At least we actually received something for that exchange! Silver lining, people.
Anyway, last weekend I had a moment of weakness and managed to ‘accidentally’ buy us a trip in Hawaii.
(No, this is not a picture of Hawaii, it’s from Santa Barbara… but there are palm trees, see?!)
You see, I kept getting calls from a number I didn’t recognize on my cell phone. I knew it would be a person trying to sell me something and wisely decided to stay far away from the phone for as long as possible.
Then on Sunday morning I felt particularly empowered.
I just KNEW I could blow this woman or man off. No problem. So I answered the phone.
And we chatted, this saleslady and I.
30 minutes later…
I had almost secured a trip for me and the Husband to Orlando.
Then, thankfully, I had a moment of clarity and thought to myself…. ‘Orlando?! WTF Lisa, you don’t even like Orlando.‘
For whatever reason, I had fully convinced myself that the Husband and I should spend a weekend at the Harry Potter Theme Park, and I was seconds away from securing the purchase when I came to my senses.
I cannot even begin to explain my (complete lack of) logic.
So, I did what any normal person would do… (no one would or should ever do this) and to distract the sales lady on the phone, I asked about other destinations. I figured I would just say none of them were appealing to us and hang up the phone.
Nothing could go wrong with this strategy… Right?!
Wrong.
Bad move. Bad, bad move.
The saleslady said that we could go to Hawaii.
Hawaii > Orlando
And honestly, who DOESN’T want to go to Hawaii?!
(To be honest, the Husband and I had never talked about going to Hawaii and our vacations are all pretty much decided for the year, but these logical arguments were nowhere in my mind when I was telling this woman my credit card number after securing a 5 day 4 night stay in a hotel on Oahu.)
I learned that we had until 2014 to use this hotel stay…
But I bought our airplane tickets 2 days l later in another moment of impulse. I’m so efficient!
I’m so glad I have an understanding and laid-back Husband. Moments like the following do not even faze him.
Via text last Tuesday morning:
Me: Hey Husband, do you want to go to Hawaii in May?
20 minutes later..
Me: Never mind, you didn’t respond soon enough, we’re going to Hawaii in April, instead! I just booked our plane tickets!
Him: Cool! Sounds good, babe. What are the dates?
… And now we’re set to go to Oahu in a few weeks!
This will be our first trip of 2013 and I must say, I think we’re starting things off splendidly.
