Checking In With My List of Wants
How many of them did I end up getting?
Last month, I wrote a list of everything I wanted.
These lists tend to be fungible; items add themselves and are immediately purchased, like the paperback copies of Jane Smiley’s Last Hundred Years trilogy that I bought on Amazon, canceled, and then re-bought at my local bookstore, and other items quietly remove themselves.
But here’s what I wanted, and what I actually bought:
New bath towels, hand towels, and bathmat: DONE. Good call. I estimated they would cost $120, and they ended up costing $68.07, although JC Penney claims they would have cost $164.91 before discounts and sales.
New inkpens: Found a package during spring cleaning, so I didn’t need to buy any. Estimated cost $6, actual cost $0.
New white undershirt tank tops: I also found an Old Navy gift card during spring cleaning, so I used it to buy five white tank tops. Estimated cost $30, actual cost $0.07 after gift card deduction.
I don’t care what y’all at The Awl say: this is why we spring clean.
Spring Cleaning Isn’t Worth It
New black undershirt tank tops: These weren’t technically on my original Wants List, but after seeing how nice my new white tank tops were compared to my old faded gross ones, I threw out my old gross black tanks and immediately replaced them. $14 for two tanks.
New leggings: I had “new jeans” on the Wants List but decided to buy cropped leggings instead, in anticipation of warmer weather. Estimated cost $30–$160 depending on retailer, actual cost $40 at Old Navy.
Total cost of buying items off my Wants List: $122.14.
Here are the items I didn’t buy: Dishtowels, pillows, sheets, pillowcases, new sofa, and shoes. One of these things is clearly not like the others, and I am anticipating getting the majority of these additional wants in April, after I start a new month and my budget resets.
As for the sofa… we’ll see. Someday.
This story is part of The Billfold’s I Want It Now series.
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