Savvy Shopper

I’ve noticed recently that I engage in a stupid activity and I’m not sure if I’ve just begun falling into it or if I’ve always done it and am just noticing it more. What it is is this: I set out to buy something. I go to one store after another, several, then half a dozen, more, and can’t find what I’m looking for. Finally, I succeed in finding it, and because of a sense of final accomplishment simply say “I’ll take it,” only to find after it’s been rung up that it costs twice as much as I thought it would cost. Of course, by then it’s too late to express doubt about the purchase; I’ve confidently announced my desire for it and to back away at this point would be an embarrassing admission of cost being a factor in the transaction that I didn’t inquire about at the time when one should inquire about cost if that is a factor. When you say “I’ll take it,” there is an implicit “whatever the cost.” There’s no turning back. So I hand over my credit card. And ask for a bag, if only just to get my money’s worth.