Shop 'Til You Drop

I'm the sort of customer fixated on deals and discounts. The bigger the price cut, the more tempting a purchase something becomes and this regularly causes me to buy things that I don't truly love. You could be selling me limited edition onion goggles, if they are advertised with dramatically marked-down rates I'll be drawn in. I can't help it, it's a rush, an addictive quality.

Being a sale-obsessed shopper, giant reductions and clearance racks make me feel competent and in control of my compulsive overspending. It helps me rationalize a situation that leaves me drowning in debt and living on supermarket brand noodles.

(Photo via Newcircles.ca)

This week I was out bargain hunting, when I came across a pair of Vans reduced to a fifth of the typical retail price. They were a size and a half too small for me, but that didn't matter as they were cool, affordable and had a quirky design. A deal as beautiful as that was just too good to pass up so I did what I thought was the sensible thing and bought them, then continued on browsing.

I wore them the following morning. I knew it was going to be a struggle breaking them in. I miscalculated the intensity of that struggle. They were excruciatingly painful, almost unendurable. I thought at first I lost a toe. It was like an Asian foot binding master class, this discovery came when I was too late for work to turn back and change. I usually walk everywhere, for some strange reason I enjoy the exercise. Headphones in, parading through the streets of Galway pretending to me a member of Haim can be quite rewarding. Today wasn't a day for that, so I took the shuttle-bus in the midst of the morning rush hour.

I waddled onto the overloaded vehicle, throbbing in pain, blisters probably already formed. Tears visible, I was challenging my best Rylan Clark at bootcamp. A woman gave up her seat for me, assuming I had some sort of disability or podiatric disorder. I should have refused, but I got sucked into the moment and clarifying my appearance in front of all those restricted, cramped, distressed passengers could've got weird.

(Photo via Lisasee.com)

Later that day I was stuck in a ridiculously long queue at the supermarket. A second member of staff was called over the intercom to help cut down the line of impatient buyers. Three men stood ahead of me, yet when the cashier came she offered to serve me first, I refused but everyone else insisted while simultaneously looking out for my carer and wheelchair. I kept quiet again and was given a complimentary shopping bag, maybe Dunnes Stores do have a heart.

I've always been overly courageous when crossing the road, involuntarily disregarding pedestrian crosses is something I really need to work on. This erratic behaviour usually provokes drivers and they're happy to unleash that anger and frustration in my direction. That day vehicles slowed down to allow me cross the road safely. I think I even saw a woman bless herself when I passed by her car.

I won't be wearing the shoes again, hip replacement surgery would be less physically agonizing. Dignity aside, I really appreciated my day's unexpected enhancements. This time, this reduction devotee got more than what he bargained for.