A tale of impulse and regret

I am a sucker for store closing sales. I love to rush in during the final hours and snag some last-minute deals. The only problem is that the adrenaline and time crunch weaken my decision making skills. Take my most recent purchase—one half of a leather sectional. You heard me: I bought ½ of a couch. In my defense, this portion of a couch was marked down from $1,200 to $400--what a bargain! Even though I knew I couldn't return the couch, I bought it convinced that I could find the other half in a store somewhere and reunite the two saving myself hundreds of dollars in the process. As you can see, this hasn't happened quite yet and I am starting to think that my effort to save money actually cost me $400 plus whatever it will cost me to get rid of this unsightly thing (I'm referring to the couch, not the dog). Have you ever wasted money in an attempt to save it? (I am not referring to the current state of your 401k!) If so, I'd love to hear about it. After all, misery loves company.

Kim McGrigg is the former Manager of Community and Media Relations for MMI.

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