In This Ring: Will Power vs Budget

Went to the store this morning to buy a desperately needed new pair of shorts and stumbled on this very nice wooden statue:



At about two and a half feet high and only $50, it stopped me in my tracks. After not-so-discretely fondling it and drooling for a few longish minutes, i was a good boy and put it back on the shelf and walked away. But it wasn't long before i was back...helplessly, hopelessly, ecstatically in love.

Then the inevitable...

Lao, you can't afford that. With tax it's going to be $55. (sigh)

Come on, Dave, it's gorgeous. Just look at it.

Fifty-five bucks, Lao. Just look at you wallet. Come on, now, focus.

I can come up with the money.

Where?

I don't know, but i can.

Where?

Well, i haven't filled up my car with gas yet this month...

You need a car, Lao. Don't be stupid.

Yeah, yeah, i know that. But listen. If i wait another week before filling it, that means the last tank lasted all of June and half of July. If i stretch out this next tank until the end of August, then that means i only used two months of the gas budget over three months, and, voila, there's $20 free.

You're an idiot. But, OK, let's say that's possible... where's the other $35 going to come from? Huh?

My grocery budget. I can easily, if i have to, squeeze that out of a month. Or, if i want to make it easy, squeeze $20 out of July and the other $15 out of August. Piece of cake. Easy.

Do you not really see how stupid you are????

But look at it, Dave, it's gorgeous! It needs a home. I need the company. By buying it i'm helping to stimulate the economy. It's from China so i'm helping to improve US-China relations. Besides, i can do this; i know i can.

Sigh..... you really are Lao Bendan, aren't you.

:-)