How I Saved $7 In An Economic Crisis

Some people save money through investments, but given the volatile state of the market these days, I would like to share how I recently saved some money, while keeping things practical. You see, I realized last night that I have a lot to say about trying to get out the door with a small child, because that one act ties in to so many other aspects of my life these days, even my financial life. It's like the old saying goes: "The devil is in the details." Details like shoe laces.

On the day I arrived in Ithaca, (I drove cross-country with my dad, while Kate flew) I went to Dick's Sporting Goods (Ha, Ha!) and bought a sweet pair of North Face hiking boots on clearance. They are great boots. They are comfortable and tough, and they keep my feet dry. I figured I had a good deal. I even asked a sales representative, "Are these going to be good enough to get me through Ithaca winters?" And she told me they were. And they would be. Except for the laces.

Try to picture this scene: our house has a mud room, where we keep all our dirty shoes. (Oh, THAT'S why they call it a mud room! Never thought of that!) So I'm on my way out the door, but first I have to put on a hat, put the diaper bag on my back (I hope I didn't forget the nipple), realize I forgot to put on a jacket, take off the diaper bag, put on a jacket, put on the diaper bag, put a hat on the baby, pick him up, make sure I have my phone (check), wallet (check), keys (check) and then make it to the mud room to put on my boots. Only I am holding a baby, and I don't have a free hand to tie the boots. I could leave them untied, but I hate when my laces get all icy and I don't want to trip over them with a baby in my arms.


So I put him on the floor, tie my boots, head out the door.

Shit! I forgot the baby.

I go back and get Yoni and head out the door again.

This is pretty much the standard routine. Not that I always leave Yoni on the floor, but with all these things to remember, it's hard to keep it all in order. So my philosophy is, the less you have to keep track of, the easier it all will be. Boots are a perfect example: if I can simply slide into my boots, I won't have to put Yoni on the floor, and I won't forget him there.

So I went online and I ordered a pair of slip-on boots. They were a bargain, even lined with sheep skin. They cost $51, plus $10 shipping.

This past Monday, my boots arrived, exactly when I was trying to cook dinner and feed Yoni his first bowl of food which he ate without any help:


I was so excited, but talk about bad timing! When I finally tried them on, they were too tight. So the next day I called the company I bought the boots from and ordered an exchange. Only now, my boots went down in price by $3, and shipping was going to be free. They charged me $6 to return the old boots, but since I wasn't paying to ship the new boots, I was saving $4 on shipping and $3 on the boots. SWEET!!!

Okay, so I'm not saving anyone from foreclosure, and this isn't exactly in the same league as a $700 billion bailout, but cut me some slack. That's like 2 lattes or 5 pints of hot and sour soup. Who's up for some soup? It's on me!