Discount Distraction, Discount Distress

I’m discovering the truth about Discount Distress.

Now, to set the stage, understand that I’m coming off of a 1-year clothing fast, plus not having a home for over 2 years, plus not having an income for more than a year of that time.  And while there were plenty of stresses associated with those three things, I will say it simplified life.  I had no money, but that was ok because I couldn’t buy clothes and I couldn’t buy house stuff.  No looking for sales, no perusing stores, no searching for the best deals.

So it is only recently I’ve realized the danger and distraction of Discounts and Deals.  Check out this scenario and tell me if you can relate.

Because I love deals and discounts, I like Goodwill.  So, while at Goodwill this summer, I found a dark brown Banana Republic sweater dress, for $7.  STEAL.  It fit perfect.  Done.  So I get the dress home and stand in bright light and realize even though it’s a sweater, it’s a bit sheer.  But it’s beautiful. And it was such a good deal!  Now I didn’t own a slip or camisole because, mind you, I don’t buy much=don’t have much.  But the dress was such a good deal. So next time I’m out I go to Target and get a slip and camisole top.  $12 each.  Ok, now that’s $31 I’ve spent.  So now I have the dress and I wear it and I really do like it, but before long it is Fall and now I realize that if I want to keep wearing it I need what?  Tights. I don’t have any tights.  (I also was given another brown dress from a friend, so I figure one pair of tights, two dresses, good deal!)  So while at Winco (because I’m cheap) I toss in a pair of tights because they are only $3. But somehow they don’t make it from the checkout stand into my bag (you bag your own groceries there so I can’t blame anyone but myself), so when I get home, no tights.  So next time I’m at Target I go to buy tights. And, because I’m cheap, I buy the cheapest pair, for $5, even though I have a sinking suspicion they aren’t quite the right color.  I get home, try them on–totally not the right color.  So the next time I go I have to go ahead and get the good tights that are the right color, for $9.  Total now?  $48. It is then I realize that the only brown-tone shoes that I own (that aren’t summer sandals) are lighter camel-colored. They are comfortable and wonderful, but if you have ever tried to wear dark tights with light shoes you know you have a nightmare on your hands.

So do you know what I actually did this week?  I went and bought dark brown boots. Yes, it sounds completely asinine now, but I went to Payless (because I’m cheap) and bought $45 dark brown boots, to wear with my stupid $7 dress, which now would add up to$93 stupid dollars in order to wear it.  And not just the money, but the distress!  How much precious time have I spent on this? Minutes I can never have back.  It makes the hate the dress. 🙂

If we’re not careful, an obsession with discounts can lead to distress.  What gets me is that I feel like having constant sale-notices and email updates and so forth makes me feel like I need to go and somehow take advantage of the deal.  How many times have I gone to Michael’s just because I have that stupid 40% off coupon?  Wanting to sniff out the discount and get the steal-of-a-deal can actually steal my joy.  It’s a distraction.  So this morning in my quiet time, I open up to where I am in my daily Bible reading and happened to be in 1 Corinthians 7.  Paul is addressing being married and unmarried, but the topic is the same. Listen to these tidbits:

This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those…who buy [live] as though they had no goods, ³¹and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

³²I want you to be free from anxieties…I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

It is so true!  The more I chase after discounts and deals and chase the silly accessories for a silly outfit, the more divided my devotion becomes.  The reason Paul, writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit, urges people to refrain from being unnecessarily caught up in the world is “not to lay any restraint” on us, but for our own benefit, that we would be free from anxiety.  Because even our drive to find discounts can be distressing, distracting us from undivided devotion to God and to people.  How much more time I’d have with my kids, with my husband, with giving back to my world, if I spent less time and energy finding a deal, and just only bought the necessities.  And, I have a sneaking suspicion we’d probably save money!

So, this is certainly not meant to be a coupon-bashing post! I still love coupons and still love deals.   But you better believe I marched back to Payless today and returned those stupid boots!  I’ve survived this long without dark brown boots and I think I will continue. I’ll save my silly $7 dress for summer and have one less thing to worry about wearing this winter.  For me, getting too dialed in on discounts can only cause distress.  A dose of perspective, and a little contentment, go a long way.