I learned a lesson this month that I'd like to pass along: Being a prideful cheapskate will ruin your day AND the day of those forced to be around you! (Although, being a spendthrift will ruin your life. So, moderation please.)
Amie discovered that the Astros were advertising $1 tickets to the afternoon game on their website--along with $1 hot dogs. After a quick discussion of the pros and cons of dragging 4 little kids to a baseball game, Amie convinced me that we wouldn't find an entertainment and dinner combo cheaper than $12 bucks (that's 6 tickets and 6 dogs). WOW 12 bucks--i'm in!
However, as I attempted to purchase the $1 tickets online my cheapskateness was presented with its first decision: do I pay the $3 per ticket convenience fee to reserve tickets or wait and buy them at the stadium? Of course, I buy them at the stadium if it means saving $18 bucks. By the way, who pays 300% convenience fees?
We packed the kids into the car, drove downtown, paid to park (at the cheapest place possible, which meant a long walk), and I stood in a LONG line to buy my el cheapo tickets. Well, after fighting off heat exhaustion for a good 30 minutes, I finally made my way to the window and asked for my 6-$1 tickets. "Sorry, we just sold out of those 5 minutes ago." @#!@$# WHAT! I just stood in the hot sun for 30 minutes to be told I just missed them. Scared and angry (scangry) I then asked for the price of the next cheapest seats: $15 bucks each. There is no way I am paying a 1,500% increase!
This was when my cheapskateness was presented with another decision: Do I pay for the $15 dollar tickets since we are already here and I've paid to park or do I walk away? Accounting 101 kicked in and I realized parking was a sunk cost, so it was an easy decision--WALK AWAY.
Easy until I saw the faces of my family. Oh wow, I really miscalculated. Unfortunately, I was a prideful cheapskate and I couldn't go back to the window. Now to end this long, boring story that only one or two readers will ever make their way through...I left downtown with a very unhappy family, and a wife who probably wanted to smack my head to right field. We ended up trying to salvage our day by going to dinner (avg $9 person) and a movie ($6 per person). But I was never able to get the bright smiles back on their faces. All my cheapskateness got me was a lesson and $6 bucks--the price of 6 hot dogs.
These pictures Amie took of Henry waiting for me to get the tickets really makes the lesson sink in that much deeper.
Amie discovered that the Astros were advertising $1 tickets to the afternoon game on their website--along with $1 hot dogs. After a quick discussion of the pros and cons of dragging 4 little kids to a baseball game, Amie convinced me that we wouldn't find an entertainment and dinner combo cheaper than $12 bucks (that's 6 tickets and 6 dogs). WOW 12 bucks--i'm in!
However, as I attempted to purchase the $1 tickets online my cheapskateness was presented with its first decision: do I pay the $3 per ticket convenience fee to reserve tickets or wait and buy them at the stadium? Of course, I buy them at the stadium if it means saving $18 bucks. By the way, who pays 300% convenience fees?
We packed the kids into the car, drove downtown, paid to park (at the cheapest place possible, which meant a long walk), and I stood in a LONG line to buy my el cheapo tickets. Well, after fighting off heat exhaustion for a good 30 minutes, I finally made my way to the window and asked for my 6-$1 tickets. "Sorry, we just sold out of those 5 minutes ago." @#!@$# WHAT! I just stood in the hot sun for 30 minutes to be told I just missed them. Scared and angry (scangry) I then asked for the price of the next cheapest seats: $15 bucks each. There is no way I am paying a 1,500% increase!
This was when my cheapskateness was presented with another decision: Do I pay for the $15 dollar tickets since we are already here and I've paid to park or do I walk away? Accounting 101 kicked in and I realized parking was a sunk cost, so it was an easy decision--WALK AWAY.
Easy until I saw the faces of my family. Oh wow, I really miscalculated. Unfortunately, I was a prideful cheapskate and I couldn't go back to the window. Now to end this long, boring story that only one or two readers will ever make their way through...I left downtown with a very unhappy family, and a wife who probably wanted to smack my head to right field. We ended up trying to salvage our day by going to dinner (avg $9 person) and a movie ($6 per person). But I was never able to get the bright smiles back on their faces. All my cheapskateness got me was a lesson and $6 bucks--the price of 6 hot dogs.
These pictures Amie took of Henry waiting for me to get the tickets really makes the lesson sink in that much deeper.
1 comment:
wow. what a sad story. especially after seeing the pictures of henry.
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