No, seriously, it's official. Incidentally, who first coined that phrase and what does it really mean? Who decides what is "official" and what isn't? Bizarre. Anyway, enough of that. I have decided that it's official that, until you decide to keep something, it doesn't really count (in the bank department). Unlike food, which can't be returned and which therefore does count the minute that you've paid for it, it is possible to buy clothes with wild abandon and until you decide that they are yours, you haven't really spent the money. That's my philosophy anyway.
Take today as an example. Today I was good to my children and took them to a soft play area and it really wasn't that bad. No, honestly it wasn't. We made sure that we left the house on time so that we were second in the car park - even though we had to go via the local newsagents so that the eldest of the two who were with me could nip in and buy the latest copy of Grazia for me. Poor boy, imagine being 8 and having to go into the newsagents to ask for the latest copy of the magazine his Mum wanted. I had to stress the importance of it being the latest copy as sometimes they are a week behind - tut tut.
Anyway, the soft play area was civilised. I even managed to read the said magazine, with half an eye on the children and at the end of it, I decided to try and work out how some of the functions worked on my phone - particularly the "notes" section. When I tapped the icon I realised that I had already been beaten to it by a child who was 10 at the time of the entry and which read "Buy Flo iPhone for Christmas". Yeah right. Not only had she beaten me to it but she had beaten me to it by nearly 8 months. So, I worked out how to enter the heading that I was after and unsurprisingly it read as follows: "Shopping List A/W 2010". Beneath it I made 8 entries. Now, lists are made for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is for acting upon (unless they relate to jobs you have to do. Then the purpose of them is to add to the bottom of the list things that you have already done, just so that you can cross them off and feel as though you have achieved something, even when you haven't). Finding myself with ten minutes or so to spare - oh yes, ten minutes - even after hanging out the washing and doing the lunch, I decided that I really did need to act upon the list or what was the purpose in making it. And herein lies the crux of the matter. Those Whistles trousers that I ordered, those items from Next (more about those in another post!) and those several Boden items, some in two colours and two sizes - none of them count. I haven't spent a bean. Not only have they not been delievered yet (although apparently the Boden ones are on their way - yippee) but even when they arrive, I still won't have spent a penny and nor will I until I make that fateful decision that they are to be mine. When they enter my wardrobe, that's when I have to hold my hands up. Until such time I had a very pleasant, guilt free, half hour (I know, I said ten minutes but that was a little exaggeration) shopping without the crowds, the travelling, the parking or the children fighting and I didn't even spend a penny. Result.
