first step: admitting there's a problem.

disclaimer: this is not about my friends obsession... cause that is not a problem. uh uh.

before i go on let's get this cemented into our brains: ahlin is very good with money. got it? good.
so i've realized lately that i do this thing... i think some call it "impulse buying".

but it's not what you're thinking! i never buy something that will make a detrimental dent in my bank account. just enough to be like man i could have gone out to eat a few times instead of buying that [is it weird that i like to buy food more than clothes sometimes/all the time?]. and it doesn't happen all the time. just every once in a while.
ok let's look at real life examples:

1. august 2008. the olympics are almost over and i've been watching religiously, especially my fave michael phelps. i was at home for two weeks after my first term of college. there was an advertisement for the michael phelps dvd that i had seen about twenty billion times and it finally got to me. i was seriously on an olympics high that summer. i got online a bought myself one. then proceeded to get it about six weeks later and not open it for another full year. good bye 20 to 25 dollars.
2. early my senior year. i really liked sidekick phones due to my viewing interest of gilmore girls. so i bought one friday night. and after a weekend of bliss but still realizing it wasnt the smartest purchase, i returned it. phew.
3. cafe rio. this happens in stages. i'll go a couple months without eating it and then i'll have it once and need it about four times a week for the next three weeks. cafe rio salads are not the least expensive thing i could eat.... but at least it only lasts a few weeks right?
4. the other day these boys came by asking if i could donate and get our local newspaper for a month to help the invisible children in africa. i heart kids and i heart africa and i hadnt done my service for the day so of course i gave them the ten bucks. except i dont want to get the news for a month and they wouldnt take cash. meh. at least i'm saving the world.
5. you may have noticed my fascination with cristiano ronaldo and sarahmaines' love for fernando torres so of course we had to buy their jerseys! let's just say the shipping was almost as much as the jerseys themselves and i'm hoping they come soon so i can feel better about my purchase...

so what's the next step after the admitting? is it changing? i'm totally working on it. i'm pretty sure i can do it. is this an issue with any one else or am i an idiot?