This morning, I finally used the new bottle of shampoo I bought two weeks ago. I made myself use up all of the old bottle before I tried the new brand. I was excited to try the new formula, which promised to keep my flyaways in check. It also smelled awesome, like a tropical vacation.
The last bottle was fine, but I picked it up in a hurry when I couldn’t find anything better. It didn’t really smell like anything and didn’t promise to do anything but clean my hair.

We were talking about how when we were kids we could only have one box of cereal open at a time. If your mom went shopping and brought home a good box of cereal, in our house Cap’n Crunch, you had to finish the other cereal first. That was usually something less tasty like Cheerios or Corn Flakes. But once you’re an adult you don’t have to wait anymore. You can open the good cereal right away when you bring it home. It reminded me of something a friend once said to me. “We’re adults now, so we can eat the good cereal first.”As I looked around my shower, I noticed all the other things I was waiting to use. All the products I was doling out slowly so as not to run out. The special scrub and gel which smelled like spearmint and tea tree and promised to reduce stress, the new bottle of shower cream my sister gave me at Thanksgiving that smelled and felt luxurious that I had used once a week since. I even had leftovers of the special antimicrobial cleaner I was supposed to drain before a minor surgery sitting on the edge of the bathtub.
I could think of all the other boxes of “good cereal” I was waiting to eat.
I could think of other unopened boxes of “good cereal” in my life. I had two pre-paid sessions at a float pod I had never used after trying it last winter. I had money left on a gift card at a spa. I squirreled away trial bottles of expensive shampoo, body wash, and lotion that I bought from St. Vincent De Paul, for some day in the future.
And I even had a real cereal example. In the morning I rationed out my granola, only allowing myself a small bit on top of fruit and granola instead of the full bowl with milk that I wanted. Everywhere I looked, I was keeping myself in check for some far off day when what? When I would I would deserve all this stuff?
So I decided to stop waiting. I made an appointment to take a float and I’m bringing along my luxurious bath creams, shampoos, and lotions. I’m calling and making an appointment at the spa today. This morning I had a full bowl of granola for breakfast. I’m done waiting for the day when I’ll be worth it. Today is the day.
This is a fantastic, much-needed nudge to all of us! Today is the day. I love it! 🙂
Yes, go for it!
This sounds like me, I always feel that it’s naughty to open up the new shampoo before the old one is used up lol #mmbc
I’m the person in the house that eats all the leftovers, the stale food, the odds and ends off of my kids’ plates so that everyone else gets the good stuff. WTH?? Thank you for the nudge.
Go get the good stuff!
I love this, Catherine! I came to the same conclusion awhile ago, and now use the “good” hand lotion regularly.
I realized I even have good socks. 😏
Fresh bread. I must eat up stale bread before I can have fresh, which by then is no longer fresh. So, until my husband pointed out the silliness of my frugality, I rarely ate fresh bread. Go figure!
Good thing! Fresh bread is so much better. 🙂