Every Christmas, my husband and I only ask for money.  We don’t really need “gifts”, per se; we prefer to make a big ticket purchase that is a total splurge, something that we could only afford with this gift. 

My mind swam all of December with what we were gonna buy.

Clothes.  A new tv.  Maybe some jewelry.  Perhaps a trip.  My mind was reeling with the possibilities!

I had finally settled on a new camera.  I’ve been longing for a DSLR for years, and now the prices have leveled off enough for us to purchase one.  I was SO EXCITED.

Bryan had his mind made up, too.  We were going to buy: tires.

OH THE GLAMOUR.

Yes, I needed new tires.  Yes, two of my tires were bald and a third wouldn’t keep air in it.  Yes, I drive the baby around in that car.  BLAHBLAHBLAHBUYACAMERABLAH.  I know all of this.  But.. this was our fun money!  We were going to spend it on us!  NOT ON TIRES.

But Bryan wouldn’t be swayed.  “Sarah,” he said gently but firmly, “we are NOT going to be those people who have swanky cameras and TVs and then drive shitty, beat-up cars.  We know those people; we mock them.  But we will not be them.  We won’t.  We will spend our money to keep ourselves in good standing,” and he was done.  This was not open for discussion.

I know it wasn’t, because I tried.  A lot.  And he had a response for every damn thing I tried.

Me: We can do this LATER.
Him: It carries important cargo.  We need to do it now.

Me: But I want to spend it on something we can use.
Him: This is a present you will use every day, at least.

Me: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.. PLEASE PLEASE!
Him: I stopped listening to you days ago.

And so we did it.  Four new tires on my car, the day after Christmas.

And SURE, my car now drives better than it did the day I bought it.  And YEAH, it’s a lot safer on wet streets now.  And OKAY, I didn’t realize I had been pulling my car to the left to compensate my bald front left tire but now I don’t have to.  WHATEVER.  IT WAS NOT THE FRIVOLOUS, FUN PURCHASE I WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS.

Because sometimes I make stupid decisions, and it takes a better half of me to push back.