Last week, my husband and I realized that it had been ages since we had been to the mall. Going to the mall to hang out and to throw away my earnings at Taco Bell and on cheap plastic bracelets and gag gifts was my favorite pastime as a teenager. Perhaps the trauma of throwing away so much cash in malls subconsciously drove me away from them during my adult life (unless a trip was absolutely necessary). Nonetheless, we decided to go to the mall for fun, provided that we left all of our credit cards at home, and made a promise only to spend money on the bus and to take the ATM card in case of emergency (we brought snacks and water bottles).
We strolled with our son through toy stores and guess what? My son didn’t cry when we walked away empty handed. Browsing through and trying out toys was almost as fun as buying them. We sat in special chairs and got full-body massages. Even going to Home Depot was fun. My theory is that, part of the reason this trip was more enjoyable than most mall excursions is that I didn’t have the nagging feeling that my bank account was going to be drained as a result. Nevertheless, once or twice, I experienced an incredible urge to break the rules, go the ATM, and buy something I “had to have”, but I told myself that we would come back before the end of the sale to claim some of these treasures. And guess what? Many of those things I just “had to have”, I realize that I just don’t need. Am I still dreaming about that fondue set? If I were, I would have gone back and purchased it.
So, going to the mall need not be a traumatic experience and can even be enjoyable. Comparison shopping is more relaxing without the cash or the pressure. Sure, there are those emergency sales that end tomorrow, but if it is such an emergency, another trip the next day isn’t the end of the world. And how many extra trips do we take to return things we regret having purchased?