Day 111: Christmas is Coming, The Goose is Fat, My Wallet’s Thin

Posted on | December 21, 2007 |

Now, if I were into numerology I’d know the significance of the following fact:

today is day #111 of my Daily $$ Diary and …
I spent $111.11 at Target today — my first shopping stop of the day.

Just how weird is that? I hope it’s not a bad omen or anything. Then again, I hope it’s not a good omen that will be undone tomorrow when I make two returns.

I’ve been agonizing for the past two weeks over whether or not to send photos of the kids to my sisters framed — or unframed. Not only are frames expensive, but they’re much heavier, more complicated, and definitely more expensive to ship than simple photographs. Today, at Target, I bought two frames. Tonight, when I got home and entered the purchases into my YNAB budget*, I decided that the frames were a definite budget buster and had to go back.

In addition to the two 5×7 picture frames, I bought a third 8×10 “floating” picture frame for myself ($19.99)– it matches a frame I already have hanging in our bedroom. I’ve decided to frame a pose similar to the old photo and thus having matching Then and Now framed photos of the kids.

I bought an iTunes gift card ($15.00) that Santa will leave hanging in the tree — for me! Santa used to leave me chocolate (as he does still leave for The Husband) but I’m allergic to it now. The past two years I haven’t gotten anything in the tree. I’ve decided to kill two birds — I want an iTunes card but no one ever gives me one and there’s no good reason why every one should get a special gift in the tree. I also bought a Target gift card ($10.00) for The Daughter as a stocking stuffer.

Then there was a RoseArt Window Art kit for Granddaughter #2 ($9.99) and, God forgive me, a Barbie plastic purse filled with pretend make-up, comb, and hair dryer ($14.59) for my neice #2. And two containers of Bubble Tape ($0.97/ea) for Granddaughter #2 and Grandson #2.

My final Target purchases were two little things The Daughter picked out as birthday gifts for her friend ($9.98) — she reimbursed me as soon as we got home.

And that was just the very beginning of my “melt-the-cards” shopping spree today in an effort to wind up and be ready for Sunday’s party.

Staples — $21.49
A 2GB Sandisk SD card ($17.98 — a simply-cannot-pass-up price on a 2gb card and all three of us have cameras that use this kind of card) and a funny little Kooky Klicker pen ($1.99) that I’ll stick in The Daughter’s stocking.

Kohl’s — $52.28
We couldn’t find a skirt that would suit, and fit, Granddaughter #1 so I bought her a gift card instead ($20.00). I also finally found two ornaments for the kids this year. They’re both Hallmark Keepsake ornaments (never bought anything like that before). The first is a Ratatouille ornament ($15.00) for The Son (shmaltzy, commercial products don’t usually appeal to me but it fits the theme of cooking for The Son this year and he liked the movie). The second is a classic Corvette ($15.00) for The Daughter. [Yes, I bought her a Matchbox car but I like this one as an ornament better.]

Michaels — $5.39
Another RoseArt craft kit for Granddaughter #2.

Linens ‘N Things — $14.03
An apron for The Son’s stocking.

Barnes & Noble — $55.27
Books for Granddaughter #3. Four Discovery books — Mammals*, Great Inventions*, Under the Sea*, and Incredible Plants* ($5.56 ea); DK’s The Way Science Works* ($19.99); and Chemistry For Every Kid* ($10.36). The DK book will be returned — The Husband thinks it’s a little too advanced.