The first day of the week in the suburban in-laws, so what do we do? Go shopping in the malls, of course. I’m not as strong as I used to be Entering the first mega-discount shoe market, my wife took my limp hand and gently guided me to the men’s section, where I slowly regained consciousness and began to find an astonishing number of fun and original shoes. Everything for sale! 30%, 50%, 70% discount. Even the ones that are not on sale urged me to realize that the price of $ 69.98 is not that bad if I “COMPARE WITH $ 110.99”. Everything is cheap, really!

Sin # 1 – Falling for the selling price illusion

The first hint of irrational behavior I noticed was that I looked at the price and savings first, then the shoe. Wow, this one is only $ 29, the regular one is $ 89, what a great deal! My evaluation of the shoe itself was already very skewed when I noticed it was either a vomit green toe or leather stripe from 1985.

Sin # 2: Believe in brands

Then I moved to brand land. You could buy Merrill, Timberland, or even Clark’s! Surely those are the best, they will last longer, they will make me happier. When I got to the top two contenders, I ended up picking Keen because Sarah had just told me they are the new Chaco (which used to be the new Teva). I don’t even have a TV or read enough magazines to know about jingles, but somehow the brand is still in my brain.

Sin No. 3: put wants before needs

Then I completely forgot what I already had or really needed. These shoes would look great, although she couldn’t think of when she would wear them. They would actually look great gathering dust on the shelf right next to the funky funky pair I bought from this very store 2 years ago and used about 3 times.

Sin # 4: Navigate

Finally, I succumbed to the most dangerous temptation of all: The Browse. In addition to the only pair of Crocs replacements I came for, I bought new jeans and underwear, and much cherished dress shoes, a pair of amazing pale pink-purple-blue sneakers, skinny purple Deisl jeans, luxury kitchen items, a bright yellow suitcase and a purple hat with white polka dots. Everything, of course, from big companies with incredible discounts.

Sin # 5: Listening to Muzak

Overwhelmed, I slumped into a chair in the sunny doorway, certainly for overwhelmed husbands, but closing my eyes was no way out. The rhythmic and seductive muzak maintained a subtle but persistent buzz, calling me to buy more, the drums occasionally rising to encourage me to sit down, sometimes a soft chant to remind me that the rest of humanity was on this hunt, counting on me to do my thing. part. I have no doubt that muzak has been designed and tested by psychologists like myself to optimize consumer purchases. I could feel him, be drawn to him.

So my simplicity and low consumption is not about my strong will and high moral temperament after all, it is just a lack of exposure. Today I could feel how easy it is to be convinced that buying things will bring happiness and that the sale prices make everything right. So I will return to my rural home grateful for the choices of our life that keep us from this daily assault of publicity and temptation. I suppose that with a more personal work I could get to the point of not even being tempted by fancy shoes and shiny gadgets; at a normal grocery store, I walk easily around most islands without the slightest temptation to grab anything (except stale glazed donuts, which I know I’ll regret even before I pick them up), but for now I’ll cut my losses and stay with abstinence.