Welcome back to the Frugal F&*!up!
This week, a triumvirate of events collided to sabotage my budget:
1. I went for the gold. I got my Rite Aid total up to $100 (counted before coupons-- will give you the actual totals later) so I could get the $35 Visa card back before the promotion ends this weekend.
2. That temptress, cheap laundry detergent, lured me in like the saucy vixen she is. While still cheap, I ended up with seven bottles, which put me out just over $14.
3. My son's first birthday party. While we're keeping it pretty chill, yo, the event inevitably adds extras to the grocery list.
Now, probably a normal person would say "okay, so you're going to be over budget this week. Relax, you have the money and it's not the end of the world."
However, I am not a normal person. I vascillate wildly between perfectionism and complete slackerdom. I struggle to live within the murky grey and stay away from the black and white, extreme, all or nothing thinking. Much like when I used to go from diet to diet, swearing to be all pure and then the next thing I know I wake up next to a credit card slip from Pizza Hut and find frosting smeared on my eyebrow.
So I'm obsessing over my Frutal F-up. I feel like the principal found out and he's coming to take me to his office for a paddling. (When I was in elementary school, our principal actually was allowed, for a time, to paddle kids! Shocking, no?) My husband, who does not necessarily view frugality as a positive thing (which could be a whole blog in and of itself-- Cheapskate and Not-so-much Mate? In fact, in the early days of our relationship, I kept finding pennies outside on the driveway. I finally mentioned it to him. Turns out he was THROWING THEM AWAY. That was thisclose to being a dealbreaker!) told me to lighten up. Actually, he said "you need to loosen up the hold on your Scrooge Purse."
I think he might be on to something. So I'm going to toss the proverbial pizza box in the recycling bin, scrub the frosting off my eyebrow, and enjoy the fact that our sweet little boy is turning one. I'll start the frugal thing again on Monday.
I just laughed so loud I think I scared my co-workers. Frosting on the elbow is priceless!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah!
ReplyDeletei've actually taken a few weeks away from the insane deal mongering because i'm finding that in pursuit of freeness, i often spend more money than i otherwise would have. rite aid is a trap for me. i have such a hard time not wanting to score all the deals- even when it isn't really anything that i need. it's hard! but just think how long it will be until you need to buy detergent again. that's many dollars saved down the line (even if they came out of your budget this week). p.s. props to your husband for use of the term "scrooge purse", and anti-props for throwing the pennies away. SHAME!!
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense about taking some time off~ it's easy to get carried away. I've been working on only getting stuff I'll actually use. But hey, if you find yourself without the Olympic lapel pin, I'll happily donate mine to you...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I was pretty proud of the Scrooge Purse line, too. He's a witty penny-tosser, that one.