The Atomic Housewife

Everything you never wanted to know about the inner-workings of my little mind. I'm no longer a housewife, but, hey, I like the name.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006


In Search Of...

I get to go on my first cruise next month, and to me that means my favorite preparation - buying everything I think I might need. OK, so I already have everything anyone would need for a three day cruise, but that's old stuff. I can't possibly wear last year's swimsuit, glasses or bag! Since I am far from wealthy, my bargain radar comes out.

It started with the bathing suit, it had to be under $20 and I found one online at The 15 Dollar Store (it happens to be really cute, too). Next, I found some semi-cute glasses for $5, but they are only semi-cute, so I'll probably need to replace them with actual cute glasses. I wanted to bring a big tote bag, but it had to zip at the top. You know how many pickpockets there are on cruise ships. I don't want them stealing my cache of dirty pennies or my non-winning lottery tickets, so I found the perfect bag at Old Navy on clearance for $15. So I'm all set, right?

This is the point where my bargain hunting spirals out of control. Yes, I found the perfect bag for $15, but there must be one out there that is not only better, but costs even less. So the search continues in a futile self-punishment, I will look at countless websites, scour endless stores in search of the item that puts my deal to shame. If I am able to search for at least another week and not find a better deal, only then will I breathe a sigh of relief and be content with my purchase.

It's not just small purchases that send me into my bargain frenzy, the large ones are worse. I've owned my current house for four years and am STILL looking at the homes for sale in the paper to be sure we got a good deal. The fact that the value has doubled means nothing. My family doesn't get why I need to immediately scan the ads for the thing I just bought, but to me it's like a form of validation. Shopping is a competitive sport and I want to be the best.

Now to search the cruise lines to make sure we got a good deal on that room. I can't fully enjoy myself otherwise.

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