An Argument for Giving Yourself An Allowance

     Growing up, we were little farm kids with chores and an allowance. Our parents didn't make a lot of money (most small farmers don't), so it wasn't much: 50 cents a week. But at the time, it was enough for a 5-cent candy bar, long stick of bubble gum, or my big splurge: 10 cents' worth of red-hots from the big glass case at Ben Franklin. The rest was carefully saved to buy presents for birthdays and Christmas.

     The allowance had long gone away by the time Brother and I started working for other people. He helped Dad on the farm, and worked at the same tractor sales/repair company my dad managed the service area for. (Dad was also a part-owner, something I didn't realize fully until after the company had gone bankrupt. Fortunately, he wasn't involved with the money angle, so had it easier -- he just lost his entire investment, that's all. A long story.) Eventually, he bought his own farm and raised porkers. To this day, I give him or his grandkids some kind of pig item every Christmas. (My favorite was the toy that squealed when you squeezed it. Brother never expresses his opinion about these tokens of sisterly love.)

Except it's John Deere...Pa ran the service dept. for a Case dealership

     I helped on the farm, too: selling vegetables in front of our house; picking up hay bales; feeding the chickens; working in the garden and helping Mom in the house. I also picked up any jobs that came my way, including housecleaning, babysitting, working in the school cafeteria (paid for lunch) and eventually working at the hardware store in town. I stayed at Rogers Hardware all through high school, and on college breaks.
     In college, I picked up the occasional housecleaning job, but also: worked at the cafeteria; was a secretary for a CPA; worked at a pick-your-own apple orchard; installed lightning rods (one long spring break); graded papers/was a class assistant; tutored; taught rockclimbing and backpacking, and helped lead various groups on trips in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I even taught a Children's Lit class (ENG291) and managed the college's Children's Book Fair.

     All good stuff for a writer learning her trade. 

'Land of Enchantment' - obviously Norman Rockwell felt the same way I did

But I always felt a little guilty about spending money on myself. True, there was the occasional breakfast (99 cents for 2 eggs, toast and coffee on Thursdays!) or burger. I bought some books -- but always off the clearance stand. (I still won't purchase from Amazon unless the book is wayyy marked down.) How could I justify such wild expenditures, when my folks were helping pay tuition? How would I cover next month's bills...or have enough to give Christmas presents? (The latter were often homemade, out of necessity.)
     That feeling will always be there, even decades after grad school, or years of working with a lower income, in a Colorado county famous for its high expenditures. It's just part of me now -- and the reason I invariably only buy meat, veggies and fruit on sale (or pick/grow/raise my own). I always check the clearance bins, and many times, find bargains.
     It's why I still buy most of my clothes at the local thrift shop. (This is less of a burden than you'd think, since many of the donations are high-end.) We enjoy being generous with gifts -- but they're invariably purchased on sale, or with some kind of a discount.
     It's just how we roll.

     We have been so close-run for money this spring and summer, because of the house sale. Yes, I splurged on an item or two -- the $2 videos, in particular. But I have never deliberately set money aside for myself. To use however I want. Even in high school, the most I ever spent was on a bowl of restaurant clam chowder, or an oatmeal cookie from the bakery across the street.

     But when the house sale goes through next month (God willing), we'll actually have our bills paid, an emergency fund -- and some left over. Thrifty Mom in Boise's post about an adult allowance made me start to think -- why couldn't I have some pocket money? (And for that matter, the Brick.) Thrifty Mom spends some of hers on chocolate. Why couldn't I buy an almond Snickers for myself, now and then, a box of sushi or a notebook, just because I felt like it?

(Those of you who do this regularly can stop laughing now. I'm a Hollander. It's in the genes.)

So here's what the Brick and I mutually decided: after the house sale closes in September, we will each 'give' ourselves $20 a month spending money. For whatever we want. It may not seem like much to you, but for a girl who spent $10 on 5 working t-shirts this summer (and felt guilty about that), it sounds like a fortune. Hmmm...a box of my favorite chicken tenders for a snack? Some of those luscious-looking peaches? Warm slippers? A new, feminine collar for Miss Ruby?

I'd like dogbones better, Mom!

They'll all probably be on sale -- I can't help myself on that. But they'll be... Just Because.

I'm looking forward to it.