It Was Just $2

Beth and I had been married less than a year when it happened.  I was making a purchase at the bookstore on campus where I was attending school.  The credit card system was down in the store, which meant they could not swipe my debit card.  The books I wanted to buy were important, but not necessarily an urgent need for that day.  However, I was already there and had the books in hand.  The cashier told me there was an ATM just around the corner I could use.  I left the books with him at the counter and went in search of some cash.

When I found the ATM I noticed it was from different bank than we used.  I realized there would be a charge, but I reasoned that the charge would be minimal and would save me time in the long run.  My card was inserted, the cash spit out, and I returned to the bookstore to make my purchase.  After running a few more errands around campus, I came home to our first apartment.

Like normal, I entered in the door and found my new wife welcoming me with a smile.  We talked about our days and I got around to showing her the books I had bought.  Then I recounted the crazy story about the credit card system being down at the bookstore.

Then she asked, “So how did you get the books?”

“There was an ATM around the corner.”

She inquired further.  “Was it a Wachovia ATM?”

“No.  But it was just a $2 charge.”

The mood in the apartment changed quickly.  She was frustrated and I could tell.  I asked why it was such a big deal for me to use the ATM.  After all, it was just $2!

That was when my financially savvy wife, gently showed me of a pattern she saw emerging.  In the early months of our marriage, “it was just $___” had become a common catch phrase of mine.

“I bought this candy bar.  It was just a dollar.”

“Yeah, I parked on the street instead of using the parking lot.  But the meter was just $3.”

“I forgot to turn in those library books, but the late fees were just $1.50.”

On and on it went.  Over the course of a week I may have said it five or six times.  The average of my “it was just $ ___” was amounting to about $10 a week.  If the pattern continued without getting worse, it would have amounted to around $500 in that first year.  We were both working at quick-service restaurants (aka fast-food) and could not afford that kind of annual expense.  She got my attention and I resolved to do better.

The occasional $1 or $2 expense is not normally what sinks a family budget.  When these kinds of small expenses add up over the course of several months or a year, they can put pressure on your income.  If you are looking for a place to cut expenses to make your budget go farther, consider what unnecessary, small expenses you are spending each week.  It may just be $2, but the sum of $2 over the course of time can make a real difference in your budget.