Peter and I did a financial end-of-the-year review together in December.  After looking at some of our spending patterns in 2010 we both felt there were ways we could use our money more efficiently in 2011.  Peter decided to spend less by bringing his lunch to work rather than eating out and I resolved to take a chunk out of our monthly Target bill by eliminating impulse buys during my weekly shopping trip.

Easier said than done…

Today as I was headed around picking up the stuff off my list, I ran across a set of lamps, two table lamps and a matching floor lamp, to be specific.  They were on clearance for $27.98… that’s for a set of THREE lamps, including shades!  I tried to leave them there, really I did.  I had them in my cart, and then I put them back on the display, but somehow they ended up in my cart again.

I told myself that I’d bring them home and if they didn’t get a good reaction, I could always return them and get a refund.

Peter came in the door from work, saw the box and said, “Hey, what’s this?”

Gulp! “Um, it’s lamps for our bedroom.  They were less than $30 for the three.”

And then the last thing I was expecting…

A smile!  Peter smiled at my impulse buy and said, “Does this mean I actually get a light on my side of the bed now?”

(Yes we’ve been married for over four years now and no, Peter has never had a lamp on his side of the bed.)

So it turns out that it was a good buy and if Peter’s reaction wasn’t enough to assure me of it, Alethea’s certainly was.  She watched me pull one of the lamps out of the box and then said very enthusiastically, “Whoa! Cute light!”