Friday, April 11, 2008

An unexpected windfall

We got a check in the mail yesterday and we're trying to figure out what to do with it. We'd like to spend it on something really special, something we'll remember for a long time to come. After all, it's not every day we receive a check for 31 cents.

What can we buy for 31 cents? Even a pack of gum costs more, unless we use the unique payment system demonstrated by the small child in the line in front of me at the grocery store yesterday: while his mom was distracted by the payment process, he picked up a pack of gum and put it in his pocket. I looked him in the eye and said, "That's really good gum, isn't it?" He looked at me, hand in his pocket, and thought about it a while, and then he slowly drew out the pack of gum and put it back in the rack.

If I were to follow his example and shop-lift a pack of gum, I would still be left with the 31 cents, which would defeat the purpose of the exercise. There must be a memorable way to spend 31 cents! One colleague suggested that we go to an old-fashioned feed 'n' seed store--the kind where they sell bulk seed by weight--and purchase 31 cents' worth of our favorite flower or vegetable seed. Then we can watch our 31 cents growing and multiplying all summer long.

But that's just his 31-cents'-worth. How about yours?

2 comments:

Laura said...

Yeah, I like that idea. Any place that sells anything by weight would work. In Rome, we even bought pizza by weight. Perhaps 31 cents would buy you some of the crispy cheese drippins!

BrightBoy said...

It was really nice of you not to tell that kid's mother what he'd done. Who sent you a check for 31¢?