Okay, so we all know how it is.  Sometimes we just have to get into a little trouble to give ourselves a little pick-me-up.  It’s that rebellious feeling at the back of our minds that says, “Go ahead, you know you want to.”

Presidents Day Weekend

Sales, sales, sales and more sales!  Did you know that there is a difference between going shopping and going buying?  It’s like this.  Shopping is when you go look at the things available and pick out the ones that you want.  Buying is when you go and purchase the things that you want.  Well, this weekend I went buying and I had sooooo much fun!

Hm, I guess I should tell you that I’m not one of those people who spends money.  I have no credit cards.  I don’t even have a checkbook.  It is cash only.  This keeps me out of serious trouble, most of the time.  I’ve never spent much money on myself for necessities, let alone things that I wanted just because.  I am, however, addicted to clearance racks and good sales.  You would be amazed what your pennies will do for you.

Storage

I have only two serious addictions: yarn and fabric.  My father rolls his eyes at me in exasperation whenever I bring home more of either one.  I always get the same question, “And just where are you going to put that?!”  This weekend I solved part of that problem.  I bought a 72″ cabinet with shelves.  Why haven’t I done this before?  Because I didn’t have $160 to spend on a cabinet.  Then I saw the sale.  50% off all storage.  I got all excited because I also had a $10 gift certificate for that store.  What was to total cost?  It was only $66.  I should have bought two, but I just couldn’t swing it.  Now I have someplace to put a lot of my fabric that has been piling up in the craft room.

More Fabric!  Really!

Okay, so the fabric store had their Simplicity patterns on sale for $1 each instead of the normal $8-30.  I went to see if there was anything that I wanted.  I didn’t find anything I didn’t already have.  On the way out, however, I saw that their flannel was on sale for %60 off.  I also had a coupon for another 15% off total purchase (including sales).  This is an opportunity I could not pass up.  It was only $2.50 per yard instead of $6 per yard.  I’m always in need of flannel, especially at Christmas when I make all those jammies.  I bought 24 yards of assorted flannels.  I spent $42 and saved $83.  I came home giggling with excitement and put all my new flannel in my new cabinet.

Not So Bad

Okay so, I wasn’t horribly bad.  I saved more than I spent.  The fabric is, in reality, part of my emergency preparedness plan.  But I still felt like I’d done something forbidden.  That is the feeling we all need now and again to make being responsible easier.  I am so responsible that sometimes I would like to just chuck it all and be 6-years-old.

My mother cheers when I get into this kind of trouble.  She thinks that sometimes I may be a little too responsible.  My dad just shakes his head and occasionally rolls his eyes.  Me?  I just feel like the cat that ate the canary.

It Could Be So Much Worse

With the Bip, Pots and the twins it would be really easy for me to be stupid in many ways.  I could spend money that I didn’t have just to feel better.  I could be an alcoholic or drug addict just to numb the emotions.  I could have gotten into things that would have destroyed my life.  I did not want any of that.

I wanted a life filled with family and joy without the debt and addictions.  Being responsible became my addiction.  How loud can I make my pennies scream?  You would be amazed.  Now that Bip and Pots have been tamed (relatively speaking) I can allow myself to cause little bits of trouble and not worry so much about going overboard.  It is still a challenge sometimes because random thoughts of stupidity still roam in my head.  I figure that as long as I banish them quickly and don’t act on them I’m going to be fine.

 

So, go ahead.  Cause a little trouble.  It makes life more exciting.