7 years, 3 months ago Bobbe White
Last Friday, before multiple inches of ice rained on our world, thousands of residents created the grocery stores’ version of Black Friday. The entire Midwest vicinity would be eating mountains of French toast for days, with their apocalyptic purchases: bread, milk and eggs. Oh, and beer. The store lines replaced the ice threat in the headlines. I wasn’t worried. We’d be fine. We had enough dog food, Oreos and Jack (Daniels) to last a month. There was Halloween candy, somewhere in the freezer.
I pretended we were iced in for two days and never left the house. It was pretty slick as our dogs slid across the deck. Lily White, the black Lab, performed a triple Lutz, landing on all four paws. Molly White, Lily’s niece, struggled, but only from inexperience.
Being iced in was a perfect scenario. Saturday was day 14 of the Minimalist Game. In follow up to last week’s post, this meant I vowed to pitch, sell, donate or re-gift 14 household clutter items on Saturday, 15 on Sunday and so forth. The details of what was trashed would bore you, but I’m proud to say that I finally pitched my daughter’s 1995 gingerbread house from St. Peter’s kindergarten class. It wasn’t until one of my friends texted me: “THROW IT AWAY! IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU DON’T LOVE HER!” It sounds ridiculous, but after getting permission, it was easy. Now, what about those tubs of toys and baby clothes living in the storage room? Why do we keep the tutus? Stained bibs? Baby sized rubber boots? The rootin’ tootin’ cowboy chaps? Do we fear the memories will get tossed out with the tangibles? At least we’ve got plenty of pictures and videos to assist our memories. Just think of the money savings on film and developing costs, now that we take smart phone pictures. If we don’t have to buy or develop film, we must be saving hundreds of dollars, aren’t we? It’s doubtful. Smart phones can cost hundreds of dollars. It’s simple: we’ll never win the spending game, until we stop wasting money. Here’s how the inner fight plays out in me:
$50 gift card…cool!
Let’s go shopping!
Oh, rose gold bracelet I’ve wanted FOREVER!
Hmmmm, it’s $284.00.
But I can apply the $50 card…
I shouldn’t get it.
I want it.
Shouldn’t.
But I want it.
Shouldn’t.
But I really, REALLY want it!
I’m getting it, so there.
It’s an investment in gold.
(Inner eye roll, saying, “Nice try.”)
Definance of inner eye roll.
I got it!
Exhilaration!
Later…
Buyer’s remorse:
What was I thinking?
Ugh. I didn’t mean to spend more money than the card value.
That’s the devil in the gift card. I always go over.
Shouldn’t have bought it.
Inner voice: told you not too.
But I wanted it.
So, what else is new?
I’m mad at myself.
That was stupid.
I’m stupid.
Don’t even like rose gold.
Then do you know what happened?
I woke up.
Yes I did!
It was a dream?
It was a dream!
IT WAS A DREAM!
Ahhh, relief.
The end.
Happy restraining!
