By Sandie lee
My husband comes from a very large family and it seems every time you turn around there’s another Birthday to be celebrated – which is fine unless you’re on a budget.
Gifts
can run you well over your well-planned monthly allowance, not to mention the
price of greeting cards – One particular Company may “help you say it all” but do they have to shout “over-priced?”
Fed up with paying over-inflated prices for an impersonal, mass-produced greeting I decide to make my own cards…it’ll be a LOT cheaper!
So hi ho hi ho it’s off to the local craft store I go.
The first thing I need is one of those card-making magazines – okay 7.99 that’s not too bad after all how can I be expected to wing it?
Next
- cardstock paper. Ooohhh…there’s so many to choose from.
Yikes! They’re $19.99 a
package…of course there is 48 sheets per pack AND the paper is extra wide so I
can get at least two cards per piece.
Okay I’ll take 1 of the kiddie package (perfect for all the nieces and
nephews), 1 Classic (wedding and shower cards – I’m saving money now), 1 puppies
and kitties (grandma loves animals), and 1 everyday. 
What now? I flip through the book - embellishments. I turn the corner and BLAMO - There’s an entire aisle dedicated just to stickers – Who knew? I peruse the options…so many to choose from…okay…I’ll take 1 of the sunflowers, 1 of the cute little gift boxes….ooh bows, 1 of the little bridal set, 1 party hats, cartoon characters, puppies, 1 squiggle-pack, 1 squaggle (what’s a squaggle…oh well they’re so cute and sparkly), arrows, letters, numbers, hearts, circles, squares, 1 more flower.. I glance into my shopping cart – boy…quite a stack there…oh well they’re just stickers…how expensive can they be?
Moving on, the magazine suggested glue. And not just plain-ole school glue, but special glue that won’t wrinkle the paper or leave those ghastly white marks. Lucky me this was in the same aisle as the stickers and was only 4.99 – a small price to pay for my perfect home-made greetings.
I peruse the rest of the shelves and to my delight find that you can also buy glitter. And not just that silver sprinkle-stuff, but flowers, stars, circles, hearts, plus all sorts of different colours – definitely a must have…I’ll take one of each.
Next
the book suggested some ribbon to really make your cards pop. The ribbon was located
a few yards over, but on my way I spotted this weird looking contraption. Apparently, it’s for cutting nice straight
lines on all my fancy paper…hmmm…what’s
the sense of making cards if they’re going to be a crooked mess? Plus, it’s on sale for 23.99.
I then dash over to the ribbon…whoa there’s certainly a lot to choose from. I carefully make a few selections ranging from narrow to wide in an assortment of colours, tossing them on my ever-growing pile. Perfect! I can hardly wait to get started.
I proudly step up to the cash and start unloading my money-saving treasures. The girl at the till looks bored as she begins to ring up my stuff. I dig through my wallet, pulling out three twenties.
“That’ll be $210.56,” says my cheerless cashier.
“Excuse me?”
“Two Hundred and ten dollars and fifty-six cents,” she articulates like I’m deaf.
“But…it’s just some stickers and paper…” I try to reason.
“Uh huh…do you still want it?” she sighs.
I’m momentarily stunned to silence as the cashier inspects her fingernail.
“Uh…I guess that’ll be on my credit card,” I say barely above a whisper.
The cashier takes my pay-it-later card, runs it through and I (with a shaky hand) sign my life away.
I’m
still in sho
ck as I take my three brimming bags of “money-saving” supplies and
make for the door. As I push my cart
into the corral a big, bright sign catches my eye…
…All Occasion Greeting Cards 1 Dollar.
WHAT? You gotta be kidding me? Was that there the whole time?!
I peek down at my brimming bags and breathe a long sigh…
…Only Two Hundred and Eleven cards…then I’ll be saving money…
*Sandie lee is an assistant editor and blog editor for the online magazine for kids, Imagination Cafe, as well as the online question games, Krumbs Pet-Detective - Feline-Fact-Thieves.
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