I spent $45 on a free cup

Here's why.

Remember when you really wanted something as a kid and you’d implement an extremely subtle and not at all obvious strategy of trying to get your parents to buy it for you? My move was always the same: I’d linger next to the thing: a cool T-shirt or video game or whatever, stare directly into my mom’s eyes and say “Wow. This is so cool. I wish I had one.” My eyes, like laser beams, shooting what I could only hope were pangs of equal parts guilt and persuasion into the depths of her soul.

“But you don’t,” she’d sometimes say (brutal). Or just plain “no.” (brutal-er). She could shut down my attempts with just a glance. Once in a blue moon, it would actually work. 

These days when I see something that’s  “so cool, wish I had one,” the laser beams turn inward. In charge of things like my own financial destiny, it’s up to me to decide if I want spend my hard earned money on things like an overpriced earring shaped like a croissant (yes), fancy hand soap (yes but not anymore) or the $45 plastic souvenir cup I found on eBay this week (also — yes).