$100 Update

If you remember a few weeks ago my wife found a $100 bill outside of a local bank after she went inside to cash our checks. By chance we used the inside part because we sat in the drive thru for 10 minutes without moving. When she got in the truck we talked about what to do? She found it on the parking lot. We decided to ask the couple who pulled up after us if they lost anything and they said no.

We have kept the $100 in a safe place for 3 weeks until Monday. On Monday, my wife's birthday, we went to an antique mall. Part of my birthday gift to her was getting a sitter 2 days in a row. As we browsed thru the mall I actually said a brief, quiet prayer that we would actually find a wooden blanket box somewhat like the one we had about 8 years ago and sold when we came back to Texas. We miss that blanket box that doubled as a cool looking hamper. Well, it wasn't one aisle later when we came across a decent looking blanket box. I had $200 in my and my wife later said she was thinking $195. It listed for $295. We looked it over good and finally walked on. I was easily justifying buying it since I hadn't got my wife much for her birthday. The next aisle we came across ANOTHER blanket box similar to the first one. It had to be the same vendor. Sure enough. A lady asked if she could help us and chatted a bit. Without any prompting she said it was her booth and she was taking 15% off for labor day.

Buy price would be $250 plus tax. Now we just need to decide which one. We ended up buying one plus 3 wooden chairs at $22.50 each. Our total purchase with tax was $344.

Total Purchase $344
$100 found money $ -$100
birthday check from mom -$ 75
wife's savings bond from 1978 -$ 50
$ saved from misordering flowers -$ 44

Real net out of pocket $75(or the antique blanket box for FREE)

I could easily justify that I might spend $75 for her gift. All I know is she is extremely happy with her mid-30's birthday weekend!