I Need to Save Money....

Don't ever say this phrase out loud. This is heard as a challenge by Fate, the Fae, God, Yahweh, the Little People or whomever you chose to fear teaching you a lesson.

This week has been an expensive week and I firmly believe it's because I stupidly announced that I needed to save as much as I could for this upcoming trip to Melbourne. The words were barely out of my mouth when Teddy said, "Mom, my feet hurt"

Damn growth spurts. Sigh. Went I to the Athlete's Foot and paid $110 for sneakers. I pay this much because my son nicknamed "Destroyer of Shoes" will rip and tear up shoes just by walking to school in them. By walking I of course mean jump on mate's back, kick out his knees and drive him to the ground and kick the rugby ball around until someone somewhere bless. If I don't spend the $110 and go with the $30 sneakers I get about a months wear, instead I get 6-10 months.

The girls also needed shoes but I did get the cheaper ones as they just supposed to be quick slip on ones. Another $60 in the hole and we're out the door.

The very.damn.next.damn.day Teddy comes home from his day at the Paul Kelly Cup AFL tournament for school saying, say it with me,"Mom, my feet hurt". It seems that his boots from last year are too tight. I look at them and crap.... They are a size 4. The sneakers I just bought were size 6. Whoops. Yep, the boy needs boots.

Today I took him to Rebel Spots- the Aussie answer to Academy Sports. I head to the Youth section and we find cool blue striped ones for $59. Ok, I can deal. It takes me a few mint yes to convince Teddy that he needs to try them on. Under duress he sits down undoes the laces and rams one foot in. I say rams because he really had cram that sucker in. Uh oh.

To Teddy's horror I insist on having one of the Rebel guys help us fit the shoe. Turns out that a 6 in a boot.is not going to fit so we have to go across the isle to men's shoes.

Son of a bitch.


I swear because even though there is only a fraction of an inch difference b
in length between and 6 and 7 they are miles apart in price. See we have now left the sheltered worth of Youths and are now in the cold dark mean streets of Men's.

The first pair I saw was $219. For leather shoes with plastic studs on the bottom. Nike, not Jimmy Choo. This for a kid that has to be told to change clothes after 24 hours. A kid who has to be told NOT to put his dirty clothes back on after he showers. $219 for shoes that he will wear twice a week for 4 months and then grow out of?!!! No bloody buggering way.

After the paddles were brought out to jump start my heart I was shown less expensive shoes.   We managed to squeak out with $90.

That brings my total extra spending this week to $260...for shoes.  For people who could literally outgrow them in weeks.

You have all read about my problem with the dryer and no, I haven't called the repairman yet.  The shoes is partly why.  I'm trying to be as economical as I can about money regarding this trip.  We're staying at a caravan park, I'M DRIVING FREAKING 10 HOURS WITH 4 DAMN KIDS INSTEAD OF FLYING 1 HOUR, I'm cooking most of the meals at the cabin.  Really, I am doing my part to make this less expensive.  But Life's little WHOOPS expenditures are throwing me for a loop.  Did I mention also that Easter is next week and we stupidly went along with the tradition of getting presents and candy for the kids.  What the HELL were we thinking?!!

Ugh....I swear to God I don't care.  If Teddy mentions anything else about sore feet I'm just going to wrap them in duct tape and call it done.