Impulse Buys

By Ellery Adams

I don't know why, but lately I've been succumbing to a shopping no-no: impulse buys. I usually succumb to this temptation the most at Target, but since summer began, I've been buying things all over the place without much thought...until the bill comes!
I started off small with a pair of flip-flops that I didn'treally need but were super cute. Then there was the kids' movie I hadn't seen but figured was worth $5 and the pack of gum positioned near the registers. (I read that candy distributors heavily rely on impulse buys from customers waiting in line to check out).
From there, things got more serious. A cookbook on the art of baking, some freeze-dried blueberries that were more expensive than the real deal, a gigantic cat tree to keep the kittens happy,and a hand-forged heron metal sculpture that I bought from a fair (the artist was demonstrating his work and I thought it was amazing).
I like most of the things I bought, but realize that I didn't need any of it. Not really. Then again, we don't need ice cream, do we? Sometimes, an impulse buy makes us smile or keeps us sane. I just need to balance what I need with what catches my fancy.
What was your last impulse buy?