Sports Fan Trap

The Sports Fan trap is baited with something you genuinely want. That is why it works.

The trap works in three acts: first a reasonable step, then a small justification, then a point where retreat feels more expensive than advance. By the third act, the trap no longer needs to hold you; you hold yourself.

The housewife with her kitchen budget runs a tighter ship than most finance departments. She knows the difference between price and cost — one is on the tag, the other is on the month.

Money is a good clerk and a terrible master; the arrangement is entirely up to us. The idea has done its job if, the next time it happens to you, you smile before you react.