My Financial Confessional

I've done alot of returning this month. Might be a record, I don't know. Many times I bought something, and then realized it wasn't worth the money and wasn't a good choice. Here's what I have returned (so far):

1) A pair of open-toed boots from DSW. They were a whopping $70 but looked so cute on me. I saw them, didn't buy them and then went back to dsw to buy them. However, with my 'price per use' buying approach there was NO way I could justify them.

2) A pair of $30 simple black shoes from Payless. Good for winter. Comfortable. However the style was not great and I just bought them out of desperation. If I'd kept them I probably would've fought an immediate grumbling desire for 'better' shoes. Glad I took 'em back and kept looking.

3) A sweater from Old Navy. I'd bought one for $34.50 and then it went on sale for like $19 or something. Returned the old, got a different one.

4) I bought a few things from Marshall's that I didn't need, but wanted. A pair of silicone coated tongs, 2 small au gratin dishes. I realized I already have a pair of silicone tongs and the dishes I just wanted cuz they'd complete a set I have but I have no real need of them and haven't used the one piece I do have yet. I also returned some furniture cream and tights. I went home and looked at the couch and couldn't find the spot I'd wanted the cream for, maybe it's cuz of the low winter light. And the tights? Definitely not a need.

5) I bought a pretty cheap pasta dough roller and cutter and turns out it worked like it was pretty cheap. I also bought a silicone pot handle cover. The pasta machine went back due to bad performance, the handle cover because it wasn't a need -I've been able to manage thus far without one.

So, that's all I can think of at the moment. As I've mentioned before, I have a HUGE case of the wants this month. I've prayed for contentment. Still praying for contentment.

This 'case of the wants' is so bad I actually had an impromptu 'table sale' (a very mini version of a yard sale) when my in-laws came over last night. Made a few dollars, happy about that, but what would that 'Ask Eloise' person say about me as a hostess? Probably not good things. Although she probably would first be lambasting me for letting the in-laws do the cooking of the dinner we invited them over for.

Acck! Acck! So, this month still has 13 days and despite all of the above returns there are other non-essential items I bought and kept (some wilton frosting tips, legos, cardamom for $10, extra junk food, a wallet for $40 when I could've gotten a less nice one for about $15) and a few incidents of 'lost' money, eg bought some undies and bras at an outlet store - dont wanna pay for gas to go back and try to return them, let alone not sure if they allow returns. Had to buy tabs for the car. Got a $40 ticket because they were expired (didn't realize this) and bought $10 earrings that don't work for my ears only to then see a 'final sale' sticker on them - so, there will be reckoning come November 1st. It just might be a 5.9 on the Richter scale versus a 7.9 or something given some of my attempts to make good of certain bad buying choices.

Oh, and in case you're curious, the money from the 'table sale' will not be going to cover prior 'extra' purchases but rather to fund another purchase or two. Yea.... I think I need a check-up to immunize me against this nasty, nasty case of the wants. I have mixed feelings about confessing it here. No doubt this will spur Nick on to further crack down on my misaligned heart, and as you can see I am not exactly cooperating with the change I am praying for...

Good and Bad of Yesterday

I was blessed to have a chef (grad from culinary school) come over to teach me how to make pasta and pizza dough yesterday. I was only able to have this experience given a special one-time offer of $20 for a 2 hour in-home class. We made plans for last Thursday and a scheduling error meant she didn't show up... She offered me an extra class, but instead just ended up staying longer yesterday to finish our baking projects - 3 hours for $20!!!! I am thrilled at the thought that I can now make my own pasta. Lets just hope that my next attempt (solo) turns out just as good. First, I gotta buy a pasta roller/cutter ($35/$45) since we used hers yesterday.

Another awesome thing, earlier this week I ordered shoes online. I was desperate for non-open toed shoes for winter (still short on winter stuff given time in HK and I didn't buy that much last winter) and I'd shopped at Macy's, Sears, Payless, DSW, Footwear something-or-other, and did not happen upon any practical non-heel, non-sandal shoes which I both liked and could buy in my size and price range!

After visiting so many brick and mortar stores with no success I decided it best to try dsw.com cuz 1) they have a bigger selection than the store itself AND 2) I could return anything bought online to a local dsw store vs shipping my order back. But, dsw.com didn't have shoes I wanted in in the size I needed either! I searched so many online sites. Amazon, Zappos, you name it. Finally I found Rocket Dog shoes on Overstock.com and decided at 24.99 it was worth the risk to order a pair of black and a pair of brown in a mary jane-meets-dr marten kind of style, with free shipping.

I took the plunge and got an email Tuesday confirming my order had shipped and would arrive in 5-7 business days. The very next day, yesterday, as I'm leaving my house at 4pm I notice a box on my front step. Yea! My shoes had magically arrived already!?! And the really great news is?? They fit and look great!

I'd owned a pair of Rocket Dog shoes before and so was crossing fingers that the brand's sizing is consistent between styles, and thankfully it is. And the construction and comfort is as good as my previous pair had been. The shoes are sort of felt-ish, and the tips look a little bit worn, which I suspect maybe Overstock sells some returned items? But, given other sites sell these shoes for $45 a pair (vs $25) I won't complain.

Around the same time my shoes arrived I'd been getting myself together to leave the house and could not find my wallet anywhere. Not in my purse, not upstairs, not downstairs, not in the car or under any cushions. The only place I'd been earlier in the day was QFC to buy eggs and whole milk for the baking class and so I decided that although I've never been one to leave my wallet anywhere, I had no where else to look. I honestly thought 90% chance the grocery store's lotto slash customer service desk wouldn't have it -- I just don't lose my purse or wallet outside the house ever!

Well, QFC did have it. And it appears all my cards and cash are still in there. I really, really was not up for losing the $25 that's in there, I need every dollar I have this month . I was soo glad to recover everything. The perhaps funny thing is, last week I bought a 'real' wallet. I've never owned one before and have always used makeshift pouches or zip-top things, leaving my purse somewhat unorganized. For whatever reason I'd seen wallets as a frivolous unnecessary purchase. But, I decided that to be a 'real adult' I needed to be able to account for everything in my purse and find it without the usual 3 minute search. Point being, I wonder if that change in my normal somehow lead to me leaving it?

I recall setting the wallet down by the debit card machine. I figure I left it sitting there. I also recall the cashier not being very friendly. I suspect she saw it as I walked away but did not call after me deciding it more gratifying to let me squirm later on when I realized my loss. No one called after me, the wallet was in plain sight, her eyes were on me as I left. All-around, poopy experience huh? But, glad I didn't have to cancel all my cards, etc.!

Another weird/bad event yesterday... Wednesday nights Nick and I lead groups at our church, him a men's group and me ladies. We co-lead groups of about 10 people. Anyway, in the middle of our leaders prep meeting the power goes out. Fifteen minutes before the official group starts and participants will begin showing up. There we are finishing our prayer time in the dark with 2 or 3 flashlights amongst the group of 25 of us. After the church leaders consulted it was decided we would have to cancel the night's group. We group leaders stayed to greet anyone who showed up to tell them of the cancellation.

As I drove home I worried about our house. In previous years a power outage might've been fun, but this month I just did not want to deal with having to replace groceries. Seeing as how the church is about a mile from our home I thought it a 50/50 guess on whether our lights were out. On my ride home from the church I saw houses that had power, then houses that didnt have power, then houses that did again and was no closer to knowing what was the case at our place.

I am thrilled to be able to say that this story ends with good news. We never lost power! My milk, eggs, cheese, etc... nothing wasted. Thank you Jesus.

Not quite done telling of the day's drama however... Nick came home at 5pm to find the garage door wide open. How could this be? He'd shut it when he left. I'd not been in the garage at all yesterday... Was a neighbors remote somehow opening our garage door? After discussing and pondering, me thinking that likely Nick hadn't actually closed the door as he left... It came back to me that at 4, when the shoes had arrived, my wallet was gone, I'd heard what sounded like our garage door opening. Could Nick be home early I thought? I looked out our kitchen window and saw a neighbors door open across the way. I waited a few minutes to see if Nick would come walking up the stairs (while desperately wanting to get to QFC) and nothing. I assumed I'd misheard. I left.

So I began telling Nick the story of the noise I'd heard at 4pm yesterday and how it was strange that he found the door open given what I'd heard. After some discussion he got the idea to retrieve my remote opener from my purse and press it while upstairs near the other end of the house. The garage door opened! How strange. Apparently in my frantic search of my purse for my wallet I'd inadvertently opened our garage. Crazy. Who knew the thing works on the opposite side of the house upstairs. Lesson learned.

Well, what a day it was. What a day!