Target Anonymous

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I'm addicted to Target...... It started a long time ago.  Probably about 16 years ago if I had to take a guess.  My mom used to take me there, or any other drug store/shopping establishment for fun.  To make us feel better on a day where we weren't feeling the best, or on a rainy day.  Because really, hair products, make-up products, a new book, new underwear, new sheets... makes everyone feel better, right? And you can get it all there.  Well, now I have a problem.  I'm addicted.  If I'm bored, sad, lonely, happy, excited I head for target.  If I need toilet paper, I go to target.  To make it worse, I live 1 block away.  It's not just the frequency of my trips to target that causes the problem.  It's the amount of money I spend while at target.  Despite my best efforts, I cannot leave without spending a minimum of 100 dollars.  Why this amount, I'm not sure.  It's not that I'm in financial ruin over this, its just that I could be spending/saving my money on other things.  Like food, clothes, gas, water... the essential things that you need in life to survive.  It seems that 3 days before I get paid every two weeks, I end up living on 20 dollars.  If I didn't make that trip to target, I would have 120 dollars, and life would be simpler, I wouldn't be eating only toast for three days, or borrowing five dollars from my roommate for gas.  I recognize this.  But I rationalize each trip, every time.  For example this is what happened the last time I went to pick up my birth control (because in mission valley, this is the closest pharmacy)... 1 yellow wallet (because it was yellow), a candle (on sale), scrapbook (4 dollars on sale), 2 birthday cards, scotch tape, double sided tape (for scrap booking-which I haven't done in over 2 years), index cards (?), ribbon (dollar bin), legal pads (?), magnet clips for the fridge, notebook.  Granted... I controlled myself and spent only 75 dollars.  I guess its an improvement.  So I am going to make a conscious effort to avoid target at all costs.  When I have to go once a month for my prescription, I will take a ten dollar bill inside, and leave my wallet in the car.  I wonder if I can go three months without spending more than ten dollars there.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I will keep you posted.