It's the small things...

So, when I have $5.00 left in the pay cycle, what should I do with it? Take it to Burger King? Nah. Buy some afternoon sodas at Circle K? Uh-uh. Hang onto it until I see something that really calls to me? Yes, I think that's it.

I didn't expect to find anything at Beall's Outlet while I was shopping there this past lazy Monday afternoon. I had the day off and both kids were in school. I couldn't be in the house because Corey's phone was still exploding with Super Bowl requests. I really just went to Beall's to price some things I'd had my eye on, and to kill some time.

When I reached the far back corner of the store where the clearance items were, I stumbled upon some secret treasures. Something pink caught my eye; a pink and white striped photo album. I turned it over to see the price and was stunned to see that it had been marked down to $.20!!!! Yes, you read that correctly, twenty-cents. There were two pink photo albums at that price. One will be filled with pictures of Lily this year, and I'll give it to her for her birthday next year. The other will make a great present at a girl-themed baby shower.

I also found not one, but two wine gift bags. Corey and I are always giving bottles of wine as gifts, and at $.60 each, I snatched up both of them. It's cheaper than at the Dollar Tree! I spent a whopping $1.75 at the cash register for the four items! It really is the small things in life that bring an unexpected smile. I left Beall's patting myself on the back for my stellar bargain hunting.

The next day was another day off for me. I made arrangements with a friend of mine to meet up at the gym after dropping the kids off at school. She and I warmed up on the elliptical, lifted weights, and stretched to a cool down.  Looking across the parking lot as we left, I discovered that my favorite frozen yogurt place was not only open at 10:00 now, but also that it carried Firehouse Doughnuts! (See my December 2014 entry "Firehouse and Flatiron".) Of course we justified our sweet stop with, "We just worked out so we're burning the most calories now." Add another tally to my recent doughnut count. Not so infrequent now, I suppose, but the truth is, I savored every bite of that one single doughnut. Again, it's the small things in life...

That same day, I went to the Village of Oak Creek to do some more price-comparison on the same  items I was pricing at Beall's. On the way back into town, I had some time to spare before picking up the kids from school. I decided to satisfy a long-term craving for Javelina Cantina salsa, so I stopped in to place an order. The woman at the cash register stepped behind the partition and emerged seconds later with a white bag containing a cup of salsa. "One dollar," she said, handing me the bag. I looked at her, stunned. "Seriously?" I asked with a smile. "Of course" she replied with a shrug. I wasn't going to argue. I handed her my last Fun Dollar and practically skipped to the car. Yeah, It really is the little things in life...

Clearance Items at Beall's Outlet- $2.00
Doughnut at Zainey's- $2.00
Salsa at Javelina Cantina- $1.00

Balance this pay cycle- $0.00
Happy Spending!