Wow! The last two months have been full of things needed for our house . And I’ve used some bargaining chips with my hubby. If it were up to him, we’d sit and think about something new needed for awhile, and he’d save up for it in the budget. That’s not a bad thing…unless we need something immediately! Hmmm.
About two months ago, hubby had finally decided we could get a new hardwood floor in the music room. The carpet was old and stained and embarrassed me when anyone came over. That room is generally a living room, in most houses. I give piano lessons, so it is my music room. Directly across from that room , is our dining room. That carpet was 20 years old. The area rug, under the dining room table, never laid down properly. I wanted to have hardwood in that room too. But Dick wanted to wait and save up for the dining room. He had saved for the music room. When the rug people came, she said it would only be another couple of thousand dollars for the dining room, since it would be done all at once. Here comes my bargaining chip!!! I said I would pay for the dining room, which they said I could pay it gradually for a year. It would come from my piano money. Grumble, grumble. Finally, that’s how we did it. I also bought the area rugs. Oh, it looks SO MUCH BETTER!!! And that, folks, was Bargaining Chip, #1.
We had planned a sibling trip to NYC, for the second week of August. I had saved up about $900 for that trip. However, I barely spent any of that. When we returned , with our suitcases of dirty clothes, our dryer worked for one load. When Dick tried to put his clothes in the dryer, it wouldn’t even start. He ended up going to the laundromat to dry his clothes. (Yes, I know I’m lucky that he does his own laundry.) We were having two groups coming to our house, in the next few days. For some reason, I received a $400 check in the mail, the next day. It was for overpayment to our health insurance. I think it was a God thing, that that came when it did! I signed my name, and put it on Dick’s desk.
So the next day, I went to Lowe’s, took a picture of what I thought would be good…mid-range…and texted my hubby. Well, he thought maybe we needed to think about it for awhile. WHAT??!!! I let him know I was taking back the check, and he would be doing laundry for the household, at the laundromat, for the rest of time. I know, I know…I am not a patient woman!!! The next Sunday, we went out to eat. Across the highway, was a Best Buy. I suggested that we check out their appliances. There we found a great dryer, that could be delivered in two days. And it was time for my Bargaining Chip, #2. I told him that he could use the $400 check for this. In addition, we only had to pay about $300 to buy the dryer. So that was Bargaining Chip #2.
At the last Church garage sale, I sold our kitchen chairs and bar stools. Our round table has a glass top. It has a ton of scratches on it. It looks pitiful. We’ve been sitting on folding chairs. Wondering what to do with that scratched up table. I think we’re going to put it out for bulk pick up. The last thing we put out, was gone by early morning, by the pickups that come around.
Yesterday, I convinced Dick to just shop around for table and chairs, during the Labor Day sales. I said I’d pay half. We ended up at Rooms to Go. We found a table that we could order, but didn’t like the chairs. We ended up sitting on every chair in the store. I am getting old…I need Cushy on the Tushy!! Finally found a kind that we liked. So we ordered the set. I still had some of my $900 savings. We divided up the cost, 50/50. That was Bargaining Chip #3.
I am now out of bargaining tools. But the house is looking so much better. And Mama is a happy woman! I’d better start saving again.
Have a good Labor Day weekend. Let me know what your bargaining chips are! Please press the LIKE button and leave me a comment.
Grandma Sherry
