My Big Purchase

I am the first to admit that when it comes to buying things for myself, I tend to be pretty thrifty.

In many cases I will shop at second-hand stores, buy things on sale, borrow from the library, or go without, just to save money.

One example is my eye-wear. Some of you know that I have become very near-sighted over the years (all that reading and lack of sleep, I guess), but you may not know that I haven't had contacts since before Janae was born--almost four years ago! I just go through life with everything blurry because I can't bring myself to spend money on an eye exam or new contacts--or to wear my glasses (except for driving, of course--part of this must be a vanity issue).

Another example is my bedding. Even though Jason and I have been married for almost eight years, I have never bought a proper duvet, comforter, or quilt for our bed. We just use mismatched pillow cases and blankets--in fact, our bed is currently covered with a twin-sized Sesame Street comforter! I just think no-one sees it, so it doesn't matter (of course, now I have photographed it and posted it on my blog . . .).

 

Anyway, there is an item that I have been wanting to buy for a while--completely unnecessary and wholly for myself. And this week I caved in and made the purchase.

 

Yes, it was a reusable tote bag from our local library.

Whenever I go into the library with my kids, I see the display of mugs, tote bags, and teddy bears--all crested with the library's logo, but it has been the bag that has caught my eye.

This week when we went to story time I decided to take Janae and Alaina in without a stroller. One thing led to another and I found myself with an armful of slippery-covered children's books. In my other arm was a squirmy one-year-old . . . and somewhere in the distance (I couldn't quite see where because--as I confessed--I never wear contacts) a free-spirited three-year-old girl.

As I dug through my wallet for my library card (apparently I grew a third hand to make this possible), I thought the reusable tote would definitely be an asset.

It turned out to be only $2. I think I would have paid at least 10.

I thought for quite a while about why I would want such a thing so badly, and I finally concluded that it is a symbol of the intellectual world of academic learning that I left behind when I became a freshman English teacher, and then a mom.

Anyway, it is great for carrying library books, and I think I will be using it for a long, long time.