Right now, we're trying hard to prepare for school. We have four kids going to school now, so it's a little tighter. Every one of them needs new shoes (and gym shoes). Every one of them needs haircuts. Everyone of them has a long list of school supplies, plus fees that the school charges like technological fees, college T-shirt fees and now a new Pride Binder that everyone is supposed to carry.
It all adds up.
Not to mention the basic stuff around the house. We have put house projects on hold--again--although we're continuing to work on the three season porch when we can. It has taken all summer but we're ready to put the screen on. (Thirty dollars per roll of screen.)
But right now, the girls bedroom door is literally falling apart and we need to set aside money for a new door. We were planning on replacing the doors anyway (every one of them has some sort of issue) but I hate being forced into a project before I'm ready. As you can see, the door is literally splitting in half, and a chunk of it has already fallen off. Not to mention that ugly hole right in the middle. (We didn't do that, by the way! It was like that when we moved in.)
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| The big chunk of wood that broke off |
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| The big split--it goes all the way down to the bottom of the door. |
So since we have wood trim, it only makes sense to go with wooden doors. Wooden doors are more expensive than white. You can get a nice four panel white door for about $60 while you have to pay $200 for a wooden door.
Not to mention that boys blinds in their bedroom has also fallen apart. Too much yanking on the string pretty much has unstrung the blinds and they're falling off. So I bought curtains today--very basic ones for $12 a panel. Still, that added up to $24. So that, with the new shoes for the girls and a movie that the kids talked me into, spent $90 in one shopping trip. Half of the little bit of money to help with school shopping is gone already. Do you see why I'm stressed?
Which leads me to the burrito blow out.
I had promised (before I realized how much money I was going to spend) the kids that we would stop at Taco Bell for lunch. Actually, it wasn't lunch, it was a snack. Four kids wanted cheese roll ups and one wanted a burrito. Still, that added up to $10. Which brought me to an even $100 of money spent.
So when I was handing out the snack roll ups to the kids that wanted them, I got to Max's burrito and it was as small as the snack roll up! I had to open it up to make sure I wasn't mistaking it for a cheese roll up. At first, I told him that he would just have to eat it, but then I thought about the fact that I paid the price of a burrito and pretty much got another snack roll up instead. Plus, poor Max was hungry and I felt guilty for making him have something so small.
So I marched into Taco Bell to complain. I brought one cheese roll up to compare to their "burrito", which in my opinion, if it equals in size to a snack, the burrito should also be charged as a snack. After making a big stink about it (don't worry, I was nice and polite even though I didn't want to be) and unrolling the burrito and showing them exhibit A (the cheese roll up) and Exhibit B (the burrito), the very polite boy said, "Ma'am, this is a burrito. This is actually how big they really are. I think you're thinking of the Burrito Supreme."
With a start, I realized he was right.
So with as much dignity as I could muster, I said, "Could you please give me a Burrito Supreme then?"
After another $3.50 spent, I marched back in the car to hand out my kids $13 lunch.
As I drove home, I knew that it wasn't Taco Bells fault and of course, a burrito isn't that much money. Everything that I bought today was needed (except for the movie). I knew I should try to just be thankful that I got a few items knocked off my list, but all I could think of how much more is still not yet crossed off.
It's just hard when the money runs out.
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