It started with the dress in the window. I saw it in the Club Monaco near my house, and I could think of ten reasons why I needed it. Today. Then came wandering through the store, plucking item after item off of the racks, reveling in the attention from the sales staff, the “Let me put that in the fitting room for you,” attention–until I had a roomful of items and by the end of the hour-long fitting session, it seemed like I was being discerning in only choosing five items. But five items at Club Monaco equal hundreds of dollars I should be saving and not spending. It’s the summer mania. So much better than the winter depression, but so much worse for my wallet.
I do know what I need to do to control it: do not, under any circumstances, go into a store. Before I arrived at Club Monaco today, I convinced myself I was just going to browse. But hypomanic me does not browse. She buys.
