I can stick to a budget, sure. But what I choose to spend my money on? Well, sometimes it ends up with me coming home with a bag of cereal that cost more than $10 bucks, while other times it has resulted in more than $100 spent on blue suede boots. Not so practical, I know. In this edition, however, the stakes are higher.
I had a budget for a bicycle. This was last autumn. As the cold weather approached, Hubby and I figured that the stores would have bicycle sales. And everyone in the family had a bike, except for me. Our new neighbourhood is awesome for biking — winding paths through forests, paths that lead right to parks. A bike would be a good thing.
Hubby and Stella had mountain-style bikes. But I had designs on something entirely different. You know the retro bikes that are oh so fashionable? Well, I can’t help falling for this fashion trend — I love them! LOVE.
Sure, there’s no gears. They’re kind of clunky. And heavy. And probably not ergonomic. But a girl can’t help who she falls in love with, right?
I imagined a groovy little number that I could kit out with a basket and maybe even some handlebar streamers. If you think I have gone too far with the streamers … well, I guess I won’t mention my dream of a banana seat or hand-painted bell then. Whatever. As long as I could get the bike, I’d be in heaven. Well, the basket too. I needed that basket.
See how reasonable I am? A bike. A basket. Done.
Hubby and Stella had taken off on an overnight camping trip, so I took the opportunity to head straight to the Westboro area of Ottawa one sunny Saturday with Max. Since Westboro has a cluster of bike shops, I figured that this task could be easily accomplished in the three-hour window I had before my three-year-old would be cranky and looking for his nap time.
The first store I walked into had the perfect bike for me. More than just being retro, this bike had a funky paint job with flowers winding all over it. Unfortunately, it was a good hundred couple hundred dollars over the budget that Hubby and I had created for a bike. I knew it wasn’t because it was actually a better bike … let’s be real here — it was the cute paint job. It was the “trendy” factor that had spiked the price up. I started to have doubts. I ummed and ahhed while Max booted around on a display trike. Then, the time crunch hit — make a decision in the next minute before my toddler destroyed the store. And I ….
…. I walked.
I did turn back and gaze longingly at the bike in the front window. But I walked away with my head held high. I was making the right decision. The fiscally responsible decision.
So this is why, even though the sun is shining this spring, you won’t see me biking about the neighbourhood. I took that money and put it right into an RRSP and haven’t looked back.
Heh. Okay, not quite. It’s true I don’t have a bike, but I did spend the bike budget money.
You’ll have to tune in again though because the finale of Glee (Glee!) is on and this tap-tapping-away on my blog is totally distracting me from getting weepy about these kids graduating! This is serious stuff and I need to focus.
Edited on May 24th to add: You can now read Part 2 here.
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