It's amazing the number of lame excuses one can dream up to justify spending money if one really tries. Take this week for instance. On discovering my brother in law safe and well in London following the horrendous bombings, the huge sense of relief that followed was all it took for me to head to the local caf for a celebratory drink and a slice of quiche. I'm sure I would have felt exactly the same if I had stayed at home with a cup-a-soup and a Marmite sandwich, not to mention $12 better off. However, sometimes these spontaneous outings can cost far more - like last weekend's 'act of revenge' shop. Tut, how petty it all seems now...
If there's one thing I detest more than a hangover, it's a husband with a hangover. For me, like most spouses I would imagine, it's like having an extra child in the house. After a particularly juvenile display of 'recycled teenager' behaviour from hubby and his mates the night before, I decided that scare tactics were in order and announced to a grey-faced husband at 8.30am that I was going shopping and leaving him to look after the kids. No way was I going to mollycoddle him this time, or spend the day tiptoeing around the house while he slept the day away! When asked if I had any money, I replied sweetly 'I don't need money - I've got $2,000 on my credit card to spend'! Which is absolutely true, except he didn't realise that I cut my card up months ago!
I grabbed Mum for moral support and hit the shops, which were having some brilliant sales. Four impulse buys and a McDonalds later, I returned home, with the urge to shop having been sated, and me now being the owner of one jumper that I loved, and three more items of clothing I really wasn't that fussed about. I knew as I hung them in the wardrobe that I would never wear them, I had just been egged on (by Mum, she's great like that) that I deserved a little something and after all, they did all have $10 off the price tag, saving me a grand total of $30!
My daft purchases bugged me all week, and so today I set out to redeem my own childish behaviour. Having for once kept my receipts and price tags intact, I returned my three unwanted items, and was instantly rewarded with $100 credit back in my bank account. I felt 10 times better for taking those things back than I ever did buying them! I took Liam to buy a pair of new school shoes, which were already on special at just $19.63 - but couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sign that said 'buy one pair and get a second free'. Terrific - now I could get a pair for Ali too! There was just one problem, Ali wasn't with me, and the small print said any shoes purchased and found to be the wrong size could not be exchanged. Darn, I hated to miss out on a bargain - but this time, I didn't have to, thanks to a tip I learned from the Vault just a few days ago! I chuckled when I read Beverley Cull's hint about cutting out a template of your children's feet and keeping it in your handbag, but quirky though it sounded, I knew darn well it would come in handy one day, so I made my own templates there and then. I never dreamed I would be needing them so soon! That hint is not the only one to bring a smile to my face lately. I remember reading a recent Hint of the Week, about a lady who had undergone a lengthy search for the perfect frying pan at the right price. At the time, I admit I thought 'why all this fuss about a frying pan?' thinking of my smart non-stick one bought for $11 less than six months ago. Which was perfectly serviceable until two nights ago, when I was merrily flipping pancakes for the boys and the entire handle fell off. What I had thought was a stainless steel tipped handle turned out to be silver plastic! Point taken, I must now embark on my own hunt for the perfect frying pan.
Today's savings high points (not including free shoes):
A whole month's supply of pet mince for $6.00
Favourite bottle of Shiraz on special for $5.89 (hence I bought five)!
Savings low point:
Neighbours across the road away on holiday for two weeks, leaving yours truly to feed and look after their two dogs. Unfortunately dogs decided to go on a wee holiday of their own and brought another neighbour's favourite chook back as a souvenir. Muggins then had to fork out for hideously expensive box of choccies in feeble attempt to placate very nice, but now chookless neighbour.
