Going to Town

I needed to walk through town twice today, which was a pretty cruel exercise, given my hypersensitivity about not spending. Town is full of shops, and the only reason a shop is in existence is to get you to buy things from it... and Wellington's shops are very good at it.

They are cute and cheerful, with friendly people inside, and packed with all sorts of things you need. What's more they've all got sales on, and the sales will be over any day, so... you get the picture. My route through town took me past a few favourite shops, which I will dearly miss.

• The Trade Aid shop on Victoria is a treasure trove of lovely things from far-off lands. And shopping there is really about supporting poor artisans isn't it? 
• The T-leaf tea shop, which is almost a grocery shop, but that's a bit of a stretch.
• Unity Books and Pinnacle Books, filled with all sorts of life-improving titles.
• Gubbs Shoes with its massive "Boots Galore" sign.
• and many more.

I went into the library for some peace, but after browsing the cook book section I started to feel starved, which then made every cafe I passed (and Wellington has a ton of them) a temptation to spend money. I really needed a coffee, too...

... but I resisted. I reckon I've saved at least a hundred bucks today, considering what I didn't buy.

Trick from my sister Julie: only go to town when the shops are shut, like on Good Friday or Christmas Day. You can't buy anything and there are no crowds to deal with. I'll keep that one in mind.