The joy of spending

Last night, Scott and I went in search of a birthday present for our great-niece who is about to turn 5 and is really into her “spa baths.” So we decided to create a spa basket for her.  

I’ve never enjoyed spending money; it’s always stressed me out. Shopping has always been a chore – no matter what I’m buying – and I’d rather not dig through piles of stuff to find a bargain. Plus, I’ve never been into traditional “girl things” like bubble baths, doing my nails, having makeovers with friends and putting together outfits – just kill me now! I’d much rather just go out for drinks and chat about life.

But I must say, last night something happened, and I finally understand what all the fuss is about! I had the time of my life looking through all the bubble bath, bath beads, loofahs, etc and picking out the ones I thought would make her squeal with delight. Finding the right basket to hold it all and decorating it with all the loot we bought was icing on the cake!

For once in my life, spending money was fun! I wasn’t stressed about it – we budgeted for her birthday – and the adventure was as fulfilling as it will be to give her the gift!

Here’s the kicker – we had a set amount budgeted for her gift. I was having so much fun, I could have seen it as a negative that we didn’t have more to spend. Instead, part of the adventure was seeing how far we could stretch our budget and getting creative to stay within it, while still give the best possible gift – it was fun to dig deeper and put more effort into it, instead of just hitting the sales bin and throwing a bunch of cheap stuff into a basket. Just another way using budgets can be fun.

I’m truly grateful to my budget for helping me finally embrace the joy of spending.

Have a story to share? Email me! Bobbi@centsablechat.com