While Mr. Saver was busy watching his self-induced Saw-athon (all six movies), I decided to skedaddle on down to the mall with my BFF. Why? Because after nearly four months of mourning my lost diamond hoop earring, I was finally giving in and getting a new one. I had bought what I thought would be replacement earrings on eBay, and while they were much cheaper, they were way too big for my ears and didn’t even come close to what I wanted.
Once I found out that the store I had originally purchased them at, Helzberg Diamonds, was willing to sell me JUST ONE of the earrings, I took the time to think about whether I really wanted to spend the money. And after a few weeks, I knew that I wouldn’t be happy unless my set was made whole again.
The key to all of this is that I saved the remaining earring and the original receipt. When I got to the store today, I showed my receipt, passed over the earring and told the salesperson that I wanted to replace the missing earring. It was a painless transaction except for the $200 it cost me (the pair was $400). What pleased me the most was that they didn’t simply just give me one new earring — I was given an entirely new pair, and they kept my old earring. As a bonus, I walked out with a free pearl bracelet with a silver heart tag, part of the store’s Valentine’s Day promotion.
The rest of the mall experience involved buying Mr. Saver a video game, Saw (see a theme here?), for $50. While I paid for it today, it is actually a gift from my dad, who told me to pick up something for hubby’s birthday. Finally, we went to Macy’s so I could replace my dearly-departed, favorite pair of jeans (which now sport a rip in the knee — cool for weekends, not so great for work). Finally found a pair that might withstand the wear and tear involved in being my favorite pair of jeans. Cost: $30.
Afterward, BFF and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, where we ate heartily. Cost: $20.
All in all, it was a pricey weekend, but my freelance side gig money went toward the expenses, so it wasn’t too much of a hit. That means no credit cards were harmed during the “shopping spree.” I’ve thrown $1200 (EDIT: make that $1300, my bad) at our credit cards this month alone, which resulted in CC #1 being paid off, and another dent being made in CC #2. Our tax refund will knock out the remaining balance, and I’m so looking forward to it.
