Like my folks, Joanna's Dad and Donna have lent us a number of items over the years, with no clear terms about when or even if those things would ever be returned.
Perhaps they've been so flexible about our borrowing habits because it's likely that some of the things we took, we did so secretly, under the cover of night. Hey, what they don't know won't hurt them, right?
But, downsizing provides opportunities to right many wrongs, so today I shipped a bed skirt back to Donna. I've decided that if my bed is to be nattily dressed, it's my responsibility to buy outfits for it myself.
All this talk about beds and their accessories has given me an opportunity to contemplate the needs/wants equation of a dwelling. The vast majority of the world's population would be more than satisfied simply to have a roof over their heads and a bed to lie down on each night.
Joanna and I, on the other end of the spectrum, spent parts of the last two days in the KB Homes Design Studio, where we had to make earth-shattering decisions about the home we're having built. Such as whether to get a top-mounted or under-the-counter sink and how many towel rings we want in each bathroom. You know, basic life or death choices.
Here's a little stat to put our American lifestyle into perspective.
The company that is building our place, KB Homes, provides a perfectly livable, completely finished home for their base selling price. They then offer the buyer the option of choosing a number of upgrades. Would you, perhaps, prefer a brushed nickel toilet paper holder rather than the standard chrome one? Why of course I would!
But here's what fascinates me. The average homebuyer purchases upgrades that equal twenty percent of the house's base price. That's right: you build people a fully functioning, high quality home, and they demand twenty percent more.
And we're in a recession.
All moralizing aside, Joanna and I are no better. We're going to spend our extra twenty percent and then some.
Hey, I need that extra light in the shower -- I shave in there!
So, when the house is done and we finally move in, will we be buying a bed skirt of our own to complement all of our upgrades?
You bet your sweet pants we will.
At your age, if you can't shave in complete darkness, you need serious bootcamp! And get a few lessons on the sewing machine from your beautiful wife; you can whip up bedskirts in no time and on the cheap. Money saving kitchen appliance tip: white is the new stainless (and a lot easier to clean).
ReplyDelete"White is the new stainless?" He cracks me up! After we replaced all our appliances with pain in the *ss to clean stainless....*now* he tells me! LOL Love it!
ReplyDeleteGemni,
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure the Beautiful Bride is the one to give sewing machine advice -- I'm actually far more accomplished on the machine than she. In fact, I still have (and plan NOT to downsize) a full-body "Red Sock" Halloween costume I once sewed for myself. However, nobody in this household will be using the sewing machine anytime soon, since we sold it in our pre-move yardsale. Was that a premature downsize? Oops.
JDV,
Ignore that advice about white appliances. All that matters is the cost, and SS just screams, "I have too much disposable income!!!" As far as I'm concerned, its the only way to go.