With Toby's first baseball practice and my first coaches meeting for Tera's softball team coming up this weekend (yes, I know it's January and, yes, I know there is snow on the ground -- welcome to the world of competitive sports....Actually, I know of a few teams that have practiced all winter.....That's a little crazy, even for a zealot like me) -- I am really missing my gear budget.
I once had three hundred dollars a month of disposable income just to spend on ball gear....and oh boy did I spend it.
Ladies, don't let your husbands give that old rash about how they don't understand how you can spend all day shopping. Send them to a sporting goods store and your significant other will spend all day looking around, making plans and buying all sorts of shit that he really doesn't need. (But it was on sale!)
As an example, when I first took up fishing many, many years ago. I went to the Bass Pro Shop with a friend of mine (hey Chad) and bought up about half the store.
You know that moment when your husband asks you about all of your scrap booking equipment? (Holy moly, do you really use all of that stuff?)....
Yeah, ask him if you can take a look at his tackle box.....Or tool box if he doesn't fish....
I had hooks for bass, hooks for catfish, hooks for pan fish, hooks in all different shapes and sizes. (A majority of which rusted without ever getting used -- I dropped my tackle box in the drink and didn't dry it out properly upon retrieval.)
I had spinners, jigs, buzz baits, hula poppers, crank baits, plastic worms of every shape color and size. Stink bait (which I never used, but did bust open, got shit everywhere, and stunk up my tackle box)
I went through bobbers like they were candy, so they were always new. Especially if brother Tim went fishing with us -- the gun nut always had a fire arm that he was just dying to "test out"..... Oddly, we never caught much when Tim was with us.....
And out of all of that gear, just how much if it did I use? A Mepps spinnerbait, a few jigs, and a few plastic worms......that's it.
The rest of my stuff ---- and I can't really recall why --- disappeared somehow or another.
But I'm willing to bet that Karla still has all of her scrap booking stuff.
And despite owning a boat load of gear --- as a fisherman --- I suck.
I got the beer drinking part down. As far as actually catching fish --- well, yeah, never mind.
Anyway....I'm getting off track here......
It's not that men don't understand how you ladies can spend all day shopping; it's that they don't understand how you can spend all day shopping at the places you shop.
Sure, a man will tell you that when he goes to the mall he goes straight in, gets what he needs, and gets right the hell out.
But does he go straight in and out when he wanders into Cabela's or Dick's Sporting Goods? Yeah, right.
Karla learned real quick that when knot head husband takes his annual pilgrimage to all things sports, he is not allowed a credit card (we only have one, it's collecting dust) and he must have a VERY specific list with him.
The list is of the utmost importance; it simply can't say "baseball gear" for that kind of a generality
This year, however, things will be different. It pains me to think that I no longer have a gear budget and a list of everything I want and (perceive that I) need. I can't just go get whatever I want anymore.
Nope. This year I will have to fill out an expense report and submit it to the budget weenie for approval.....(Yes dear, I know where the couch is....I am getting my blankets out of storage now)
I really, really, really, miss my gear budget......Suddenly my birthday, which never used to be a big deal, may become a way of getting some of the precious gear that I need oh so badly. (I don't need no steenking cake --- I need baseballs!!)
So, you may wonder, do I regret giving up my job?
NO.....HELL NO!!!!
I miss the work and really miss my co-workers (An awesome bunch). But I wouldn't trade that for the great time I'm having with my family.
And, to be honest, this budget thing isn't anywhere near as bad as when Karla and I were doing the Dave Ramsey thing......If it were that bad I would be at the front door of my former employers, on my knees, and begging for my job back.
Trust me.....I will never get so out of control with our money that it will force us to go through Financial Peace again......Once is enough.
Let's face it....I've been spoiled for a very long time. When I talk about doing without, I'm talking about doing without things that I want -- not need.
Both kids' players fees are covered. Tournaments expenses ---- covered. There is nothing that the kids absolutely have to have.
But, man, I miss being able to walk into a store and drop down two-hundred-fifty on a bat without even blinking an eye. Now, God forbid, I actually have to SAVE for it.
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