With the holiday shopping season upon us I must admit that I am powerless over a sale. Send me a sales catalog and I'll find all kinds of things to buy that I didn't even know that I had to have....until I saw how low the prices were.

I was raised with practical, midwestern parents. They grew up during the depression and we were regularly reminded of that fact. Because they grew up during lean times we had criteria to follow before we purchased anything. The question we had to answer was: Do I need this?

Most of the time the answer to that question was no, I didn't need it, but I wanted it.

We quickly learned that our family did not buy wants. For goodness sake, do you think we were made out of money?, was regularly asked us by both my mom and dad. And, if we needed something we had to explain to these people who weren't made out of money why we needed whatever it was that we seemingly could not live without.

For example, a typical conversation would go like this. ...

Me: "Dad, I need a new pair of jeans because everyone is wearing this cool new style"

Dad: "That sounds like a want to me".

Me: "No, I really need new jeans because my old ones have a hole in the seat".

Dad: "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Go ahead and get those jeans. We don't need for everyone to see your rear end!"

Once I figured out how to work the system I got everything I needed....and wanted. Still, old habits die hard and even today around the first of December I get calls from my family asking: "what do I need for Christmas?" Heaven forbid we buy something that someone wants but doesn't need!

Which brings me to the long check-out line at Macy's in downtown Sacramento the other day. There I was, loaded down with my needs (sheets and 2 bed pillows) and one want: a panini press at 50% off.

I've never eaten a panini before but at 50% off, surely it is worth buying one, right? A grilled panini sandwich sounds exotic and really, how can I go wrong at 50% off?

The lady in line behind me asked me how much the panini press was. When I told her it was 50% off she confirmed that it was a good price. We struck up a conversation and I admitted that I didn't even really know what a panini was.

She told me that a panini is a grilled cheese sandwich.

Then it hit me. I was going to spend $45.00 on a gadget that made something that I already can make with a frying pan that I already own. And to add insult to injury I would have to find a place to store my new high-priced, new fangled grilled cheese maker. I didn't need it and I certainly didn't want it anymore. Heck, we rarely eat grilled cheese as it is.

I bought my sheets and pillows and left the panini in Macys, where it belongs.

My dad would be proud!