I discovered our local Goodwill store is open until 9pm, which gives me an option for evening donations on busy days like today when I gave a lecture, had lunch with good friends, edited an article I’d written, shopped for a Halloween costume for our son Theo, helped him with homework and cooked dinner.

So while my husband David was taking Theo to soccer practice, I gathered a few of Theo’s old clothes and took them to Goodwill. I dropped them off at the counter, but didn’t leave right away. Since I was there, I thought I’d take a quick look around. Why not? I deserved a little treat after a busy day and everything’s cheap here, right? So I wandered around through the women’s clothes, tried on a couple of items that looked ok. I would have probably bought them last year, but this year I’m a little stricter with myself as I’m not supposed be acquiring. In the end I found a paisley-design skirt that I liked and tried it on. I can see myself wearing it this fall and winter so I decided to buy it. But, so that my closet would be fuller when I got home, I wore the new skirt to the checkout, paid for it and donated the black skirt I’d come in. I headed home feeling a little guilty about my new acquisition but less than I would have without my final donation.

When David and Theo got home from soccer practice, David looked at me and said, “Nice skirt. Is that new?” I explained that I’d just bought it while they were out and asked him if he remembered what I’d been wearing before. He didn’t. The guilt is starting to fade already…