I Think I Better Stop Now.....

So when Bro made an offer on a house, and the sellers accepted, and they set a closing date, I offered to decorate the boys' rooms.  I figured, I like doing it, Bro doesn't, and the kids don't care who's in charge as long as they get cool spaces.  We all win.

I set a fairly low budget and set about collecting the things I would need. I hunted down deals on throw blankets, I had posters printed, I rooted a couple plants.  I found two chairs for five bucks at a rummage sale and Walker sanded them and painted them.  My mom is sewing special pillow covers.  Things were going well.  Very well.  So well that I decided, Bro is a boy, I'll do some things for his room, too.  Together we found a squishy down comforter, and I picked out some flannel sheets that would coordinate nicely.  Bro likes things simple, so I stopped there.

But of course, I didn't stay stopped.  I got a flier from Kohl's about a store wide sale.  I needed some jeans, so I decided to check it out. I picked out two pair of jeans, but the coupon I had offered an extra 20% discount if I spent $100.  I was at about $68, so I figured a shower curtain and a bath mat for Bro would just about do it.  Only it didn't.  I was shopping during "magic hour", when the already on sale items were an extra 10% off.  So I tossed some towels and a plastic wastebasket in my cart.  That was enough to put me over the $100 mark, so I headed to the checkout.  With the extra 20% off the "savings" amount was more than the "sale total" amount.  Pretty slick, right? 

Since I had started with a $100 budget and I only spent about $85 I decided to stop at Walmart on the way home.  I figured I could get some hand soap and toothpaste and toilet paper and - viola! - one bathroom would be finished.  Bro would still have one more to do, but in the mean time he'd have a fully stocked bathroom for himself and the boys to share until he figured out what to do with the second one. And, in case you're wondering, it won't hurt my feelings if he takes everything back.  It's hard to pick things out for other people, and I'd rather have someone exchange something I gave them than have it sit, unused, in a closet somewhere. Besides,  Bro generally isn't fussy.  I got gift receipts for everything just in case. 

So anyway, I'm tooling around Walmart and I realized that we have not gotten any Halloween candy yet.  No problem!  Thump, thump, thump, into the cart it goes.  Then I remembered that, since I got a fabric shower curtain, Bro would need a vinyl liner.  No problem!  Better get two, as ours is looking a little sad.  Hmmm, the boys are readers.  I should probably get them some reading lamps.  Oh!  And poster frames for those gorgeous posters I ordered.  As I headed back to the soap-and-toothpaste section I passed a pile of pink, as in a whole kiosk of Susan G Komen pink ribbon stuff.  Of course I had to look.  I've been a sucker for that stuff since I can remember.  Our wrapping paper was lost in the Great Basement Flood of 2011.  Into the cart with two rolls of lovely silver and pink.  Mmmmm, pretty pink tulip bulbs!  I love tulips!  Gotta get some of those. I could go on, but I'm pretty sure you got the idea.  When I was done, my $15 stop for toothpaste and toilet paper cost me a hundred bucks.  Yep, another break-the-bank trip to Walmart.  For some reason, Walmart and Home Depot are budget busters to me.  Ah, well.  I had the cash in my wallet so really, it's all good.  As long as this doesn't become a habit.