What do you do when your husband is laid off from a job he's given his all to, and you realize that this means you will no longer be able to redeem the airline tickets he won from a work raffle? What options are left when the 2-week Italian getaway you were planning to celebrate your 15th anniversary is no longer a possibility? How do you cope?
You get thrifty, of course!
Yes, it's true, Richard was one of the unfortunate ones to be let go from the company a month before Christmas. And yes, we had to come to terms with the fact that not only would this deprive us of our source of income, it would mean saying "arrivederci" to our plans to go abroad. We'd been researching places to stay, we'd arranged a caretaker for all seven kids, and we'd been dreaming of a Roman holiday for just the two of us. But regulations stipulated that the recipient of the airline tickets must be employed with the company at the time of travel. Our plans were scheduled for the ensuing Spring. It was now November. And it was shaping up to be a rather dismal one.
Thankfully, Richard was able to find work again quickly. Christmas was around the corner and our bank account was none the worse for wear, though there was nowhere near enough to entertain thoughts of traveling to Europe anytime soon. So, I did the next best thing. I scoured the internet for inexpensive date night ideas with Italian themes, searched Amazon Prime video for Italian titles, and splurged on imported foods from the local Smith's grocery store. (I realize "splurge" may sound like a strange choice of words for a Thrifty Thursday post. But it's all relative -- I sure spent a lot less than I would have paid for round trip airfare, right?)
For Richard's Christmas present, I grabbed an old basket from the closet and heaped it full of the treasures I'd found, complete with a puzzle depicting the cobbled bridges of Venice, and a pair of plastic wine goblets purchased from the Dollar Tree.
We enjoyed the pantatone on New Years, but more recently, we used some of the packaged pasta and jarred sauces to create a romantic at-home dinner date.
We still want to go to Italy together someday. But for now, I'd say we're living la bella vita right here, sitting at home.
When life hits you hard and you laugh anyway -- that's amore!
You get thrifty, of course!
Yes, it's true, Richard was one of the unfortunate ones to be let go from the company a month before Christmas. And yes, we had to come to terms with the fact that not only would this deprive us of our source of income, it would mean saying "arrivederci" to our plans to go abroad. We'd been researching places to stay, we'd arranged a caretaker for all seven kids, and we'd been dreaming of a Roman holiday for just the two of us. But regulations stipulated that the recipient of the airline tickets must be employed with the company at the time of travel. Our plans were scheduled for the ensuing Spring. It was now November. And it was shaping up to be a rather dismal one.
Thankfully, Richard was able to find work again quickly. Christmas was around the corner and our bank account was none the worse for wear, though there was nowhere near enough to entertain thoughts of traveling to Europe anytime soon. So, I did the next best thing. I scoured the internet for inexpensive date night ideas with Italian themes, searched Amazon Prime video for Italian titles, and splurged on imported foods from the local Smith's grocery store. (I realize "splurge" may sound like a strange choice of words for a Thrifty Thursday post. But it's all relative -- I sure spent a lot less than I would have paid for round trip airfare, right?)
For Richard's Christmas present, I grabbed an old basket from the closet and heaped it full of the treasures I'd found, complete with a puzzle depicting the cobbled bridges of Venice, and a pair of plastic wine goblets purchased from the Dollar Tree.
We enjoyed the pantatone on New Years, but more recently, we used some of the packaged pasta and jarred sauces to create a romantic at-home dinner date.
We still want to go to Italy together someday. But for now, I'd say we're living la bella vita right here, sitting at home.
When life hits you hard and you laugh anyway -- that's amore!
Oh, what a heartbreak to not be able to go on that trip! I know what it's like to be a mom of a big family and to have to give up so much, to watch those around you doing fun things, and then to have that wonderful opportunity put in front of you, only to be torn away! I am so impressed by the way you made the best of the situation, and I'm so glad your husband is employed again . But I really really hope that many wonderful things come your way that make up for not getting to go on that trip!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you, Birrd -- both for your sympathies, and for the fact that you are still reading! I post far too infrequently. It's nice to know someone is reading along anyway.
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