We are down one more bill. I said goodbye to my bookstore credit card account. This one was a toughie for lots of reasons. The credit account was to a bookstore that I adore. Not only is it a local place to buy books and talk with staff but, it is also one of my favorite places to pick up gifts. I closed my eyes, handed over my debit card and signed on the dotted line. That was it. I was out the door before I could change my mind (or find something else to buy).
Temptation wasn't finished with me. I was surfing when the ad to open a credit card account at a major online bookseller smacked me in the face. It's hard to tell you how strong the temptation was to open the account. Sitting on my hands is one of the lessons that I'm learning as we dig through the debt pit.
My tactic was to close the computer and take a walk. This gave me time to think things through. Paying off the credit card account at the other bookstore gave me another measure of freedom. Did I really want to exchange that freedom for another ball-and-chain load of debt?
You should have heard the argument in my head. Then again no, you shouldn't have. Reasoning won out in the end but it was a very close call.
My thinking is that if I could find the willpower to limit my Black Friday shopping, then I could say goodbye to the bookstore credit card account and leave it closed. There is no point in opening another account and struggling to pay it off. It's time to say "enough is enough" and walk away. It's a small victory but it feels good. I think that I'll leave it that way.
A bookstore? What's that? I'll have to look the word up online;)
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like a grocery store that's filled with books instead of groceries. ;-) They're going the way of GI Joe, collectible plates and old cars. Pretty soon bookstores will be collectors items. Look for them to be sold in miniature dollhouse styles. You'll be able to collect a whole set.
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