Trick-or-Treat

Cheap, frugal, penny pincher, tightwad, whatever you want to call it. I am it! I know it. I'm not necessarily proud of it, but I accept it. I always have been. As a child, I would search couch cushions and stash the money away in a hidden canister. I used it wearily, only to buy gifts for family members on birthdays and Christmas. I took these habits with me.

I am the person, a little hesitant to admit, that checks the flyers, then goes to three different grocery stores to get the best deal.  I compare and contrast before I buy. Forking over money for any semi-major purchase makes my heart skip a few beats. I even have trouble betting away chips in friendly poker games. But, somehow, I always come out alive.

With my stingy ways, on of my favorite words happens to be "free!" Sure, sometimes "free" comes with stipulations. Those aren't the "frees" I like. I like straight up free.This weekend there was a home show in the area. I love going to the home show. I have great interest in looking at houses, and the home show takes it a bit further and allows to me see different options to incorporate into those houses I love to look at. But, even more than this, the home show is a great place to get free stuff!

So, on my visit to the home show, I made sure to grab a bag. I would fill this bag to the brim before I left. I worked hard not be memorable, because that way, you can go around the whole thing more than once. For me, it is hard to not be memorable. But, I had to sacrifice. The more trips you take around, the more free stuff you can get! Now, don't think I am a horrible person. The free stuff I take, is not solely for my own benefit. You see, I take the pencils, I take the candy, and I take the rulers. My goal is always to collect 24 of them. One for each of my students.

Along the way, I stop and enjoy the sights and sounds of the home show. There are infomercial-like stands, demonstrating their products. Mops, brooms, irons, gardening supplies, cookware, patios, saunas, and tiling services to name a few. The sights are plenty and oh, so interesting.

Even more plentiful was the candy!  I made a number of trips around, noting where the good candy was and filling my bag. It felt like trick-or-treating. And, it sure had a similar result. I like to give out candy for birthdays at school. This particular home show may just have successfully stocked me up enough to last the rest of the school year. Lucky for little Billy whose birthday is tomorrow!

My loosey goosey, wallet flapping husband will cringe when he reads this. Sorry Jeff. But don't worry, I saved a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup just for you, baby!