Oh dear god, that was difficult. I never want to do a shopping ban again. That was probably the one of the more stressful months of my life. I’m not talking, “Oh noes! I have to write a thesis” stressful; I’m talking “I know I’m not supposed to buy it, but now I want to buy it MORE because I CAN’T” psychology torture stressful. Here’s the thing. On a typical month, I don’t consider myself a big spender. I usually talk myself out of buying stuff. I don’t go looking for gadgets to buy and I don’t usually spend time on retail websites. Yes, I’ll go on Slickdeals a few times a week, but for the most part, looking at shopping sites isn’t on my deal To-Do list. All that changed while I was on the shopping ban. It was like some hidden streak of masochism rose from the depths of my soul to torment me. Suddenly, I’m looking at wool jackets and sample sales (Yes, I’m looking for one, but very casually. I wasn't actively pursuing this.) I’m thinking about what I want in a perfe...