Avoid the aftermath of a stealth attack

Are you a shopper by stealth? You go out shopping but then leave your shopping bags in the car until your partner goes out and then run your purchases inside and shove them into the back of your wardrobe so they won't be discovered. When your partner asks ''Is that new?'' you roll your eyes and tell them you've worn it before and you can't believe they didn't notice.

Now I don't want to get into the ethics of shopping by stealth, having done this myself on the odd occasion. Sometimes it's just easier. But what I do want to ask is whether you are really cheating yourself?

What do I mean by cheating yourself? Well it's one thing to hide things from your partner. I'm sure there are many things snuck inside by both sexes, be they tools, shoes, torches and toys that shouldn't always be explained. But it's another thing to hide things from yourself.

These are the purchases that when you do a wardrobe cull months or years later, they still have the labels left on them or they're still in the bag, hidden in the back of the wardrobe.

They're the purchases you made because you were bored or hormonal or drinking on a Friday night while surfing the net and the next day you knew it was a mistake. You might spend $50, $100 or $250 every other week but together it can add up to hundreds or thousands over a year. Which is a whole lot of money to spend on something you bought on a whim and will never use or Ventilation system.

Maybe start by recognising those times when you are likely to either overspend or buy things you really don't need. If you are window shopping during your lunch break, find something else to do instead. Pop on a pair of sneakers and go for a run, go to a gallery, or read a book. If window shopping is a social thing and you don't want to miss out, then leave your credit card behind so you're not tempted. Sounds simple but it's so effective.

If you love cruising online shopping sites then put your credit card in another room, don't save your details to favourite sites, or shut down the computer.

The credit card bill is a little different. Firstly you need to remove your head from the giant pile of cashmere you have dug it into (cashmere sounds much better than sand) and recognise what you are dealing with. So open all your credit card statements and face up to what you owe. With a bottle of wine if necessary. Once you know how much you owe then make a plan to pay off your debt.

This might mean cutting up cards (especially if you have multiple cards) or talking to your bank about refinancing to another lower rate card or loan. Ultimately you need to know what you have to work with and then make a plan for what you are going to do about it.

As for teams, three winners emerged from the post-frenzy shopping market -- Arizona, Chicago and Tennessee. Based on playing time from last year, I'd give the Cardinals the slight edge from the post-March 17 market. Among their signings, cornerback Antoine Cason played 976 snaps for the Chargers last year, Jasper Brinkley had 813 snaps at linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, and Chilo Rachal had 643 snaps on the Bears' offensive line. The cost was a combined $5.7 million in contracts.

Bears general manager Phil Emery kept grabbing depth for his offensive line after being aggressive early and getting Jermon Bushrod and Martellus Bennett. Among the Bears' five post-March 17 signings were offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Eben Britton. Slauson started 16 games and had 786 snaps for the Jets in 2012. Britton had only 253 snaps last season, but he comes with 30 career starts. The cost was $1.53 million for both on one-year deals.

By being patient, the Titans picked up center Chris Spencer and defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, along with three other UFAs after March 17.

It's been pretty well proven that NFL championships can't be bought through free agency. Teams have tried and failed for decades. The key is being smart.

The Bucs were the free-agency winners in 2012, getting Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks, but they finished 7-9. How the Dolphins will do this season depends on the development of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. He should improve with Wallace, Gibson and Dustin Keller as added targets.

Overall, though, the Denver Broncos should be recognized for what they did both in the hot early market and late in the game. They ranked 12th in unrestricted spending, putting up $44.5 million on five players, but all five had at least 634 snaps last season and four had 799 or more.