A Post Easter Thought

On Saturday at my snowflaking job a coworker asked if I was getting Easter baskets for my kids. I said that I wasn't. Her children are much younger than mine and she remarked that they were excited about Easter because they thought it was going to be a huge gift-getting day like Christmas. My friend said she thought it would be fun to give someone my daughter's age an Easter basket because it could be filled with lip gloss, make up and little trinket types of things. I thought about that for a brief moment, but still was not motivated to run out to get stuff for Easter for C1 and C2.



Even when they were growing up, we never made Easter a huge present-giving day. Because I sold Longaberger, each had and still has a Longaberger Easter basket. I used to put grass in it along with a chocolate bunny and a small toy, for example a stuffed Easter animal or maybe an action figure for my son. Then they would use their baskets to gather eggs at the Easter egg hunt.



I must say that I do think C1 thought I was giving Easter baskets this year. She was shocked when I told her that I wasn't. I'm thinking 22 and 16 and you don't believe in the Easter bunny...no need for the Easter baskets. In the end I did get each of them a chocolate bunny.

My Free Cell Phone

C1 and C2 decided that they wanted new cell phones for Christmas. Back in the summer I asked my husband to start researching cell phones so that I could put my money together and use cash to buy the cell phones. Of course, they wanted very expensive phones that have many, many bells and whistles. So my husband and I agreed that this would be the only gift each would get and we would spend up to $300 for each phone. I know that C1 wanted a Blackberry. C2 wanted something similar.

My husband was all set to order the phones online. He even found a couple of rebate deals, which meant we would spend less than $300 for C2's phone. Well, when he went to place the order, he found out that we would have to upgrade our phone service to the tune of $40-$50 per month for each phone! As you well know, I'm somewhat remedial when it comes to technical stuff, but I do know that I am not upgrading to the tune of almost $1000 per year so that my children can have really cool phones.

In the end C1 and C2 settled on the same phone. C2 had it as an option on his Christmas list. But C1 decided that it was good enough for her too. They both were very appreciative. I got text messages, thanking me for the phones. Best of all each phone was only $85, leaving money to get them other items that they had on their Christmas lists.

This leads me to my free phone. My husband, C1 and C2 have been after me to upgrade my cell phone. I didn't think that I needed a new phone. I rarely use mine. The only people who call me are my family and my snowflaking job. I'm old school in that I think the phone is for making phone calls. Well, each reminded me that an upgrade would be free because I'm the primary account holder! I thought, if it truly costs zero dollars, then I'm all over it. So I did it! I upgraded my cell phone for free. I feel like I really saved money too. I was willing to spend $600 for two phones. In the end, I got 3 phones for less than $200!