As a child, I filled old baking soda tins with bachelor buttons and peddled them from our front lawn. I had already cornered the market on lemonade, and decided to branch out selling the brightly-colored flowers my Mom grew in her garden.
I have always loved flowers: from selling them from my lemonade stand as a kid, to covering my car with flower stickers as a freshman in college, to countless plays and dance recitals where I would carry home a bouquet that my family or friends brought me after the performance—flowers hold a dear place in my heart.
Flowers, to me, are celebratory: a standing ovation, a warm hug, a tangible enticement towards joy.
In the past few months, every time I have gone to the grocery store, I have found myself longing for a bouquet of flowers. In the summertime, I can generally scrounge some wildflowers or even some pretty grasses to decorate my home on the cheap, but once the cooler weather hit I missed the pretty foliage.
I would be pushing my cart filled with grocery items, and I would linger in front of the freshly cut blooms.
Invariably, the tightwad in me would wheel the cart around with steely determination turn my back on the item that we didn’t need.
Flowers, I knew, were a waste of money. They would bloom for a while, and then die. And that $5 or $10 of hard-won money would perish with them. I knew they weren’t a good investment for newlyweds who were trying to count every penny: they wouldn’t keep us fed, or pay off our student loans.
Yet I wanted them all the same.
I wanted them in an irrational way. I couldn’t reason myself out of not wanting them, and I felt like I was snubbing a small part of me every time I turned away from the flower section. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford them, as much as I chose not to. I couldn’t completely understand or logic out why they would make me so happy, so I ignored the yearning for fresh flowers completely and filled my cart with items that we truly did need instead.
Then a few months ago, I told hubby that I was going to buy some flowers out of my fun money: “aren’t they for the house?” he asked “buy them out of the grocery money! Treat yourself!”. That was just encouragement I needed.
I strode into that grocery store, studied the blooms, and rashly grabbed a bouquet of flowers and put it on my cart before I could change my mind. The money-pincher in my head chastised me for spending $5 on a little bouquet, but I didn’t listen.
When I got home, after putting away all the groceries, I pulled out all my vases from my wedding, dusted them off, and divided the bouquet among them. I placed one vase on our table, another in our living room, and a third in our bedroom.
That little bouquet of flowers lasted for two weeks. When the flowers began to wilt I, once again, went to the grocery store to find a completely different assortment of carnations. This time, I grabbed the pale pink blooms.
This small treat has given me so much joy. Always having fresh flowers in the house has given me such a boost as the days have grown shorter, and the weather colder.
I purchase two bouquets of flowers for myself a month: just a little over $10 a month with tax. The budgeter in me quickly figures that we are spending over $120 a year on something incredibly perishable, and yet I allow myself to buy them all the same.
I buy the flowers because they give me a big return on my investment: even if that return is intangible.
They have made me realize that self-care is worth a bit of an investment, even if it is only $10 a month, and that a bouquet of flowers nourishes me just as much as a bag of apples or a loaf of bread.
You inspired me. Spending a few bucks for flowers to bring joy and happiness to the house is not a bad thing. Go for it! I will do too! Thanks for inspiring me!
I just shared with my readers about a time in my life where I bought myself flowers every week. This post has me realizing I need to continue to buy them for myself, at least once a month.
You definitely should! I will have to check out that post of yours!
I only wish I could find flowers that cheap here!
Are flowers quite a bit more expensive where you are from? Rats!
That’s so great that you’ve started doing that for yourself! Self-care truly is important.
Your husband sounds so sweet. I know my husband would say the same 🙂
I am not very good at ‘treating myself’–it’s much easier for me splurge on treats for Angel or anybody else than treats primarily for my enjoyment. Although, yesterday, I stood in front of a 12 RM ( < $3 USD but in my defense, we don't make dollars, so 12 RM is more than $3 would be in our income) box of Christmas ornaments would be in the grocery store for a long time before finally deciding to just recklessly buy them. They are such happy little things. Because they were sparkly and we have almost no Christmas ornaments in our possession. Your husband was so sweet in encouraging you to just buy the flowers!
This is so sweet. And I love how your husband truly justified it. I too, wrestle with spending five bucks on blooms here and there, but whenever I have them, they bring such life to our home, I honestly miss them when they’re gone.
Me too! They really awaken a space, don’t they? I just love working on my laptop with a bouquet of fresh blooms, and a candle nearby.
I always get mad at my husband when he has flowers delivered to my work. He always does it the day before and spends more on next day delivery, so it ends up being around $100 and they only last a week or so and I think that is such a waste of money. We could have gone out to dinner and a movie with less than that. However, I wouldn’t object to him grabbing some from the store. They are always so pretty to look at and occasionally will get some myself because it is important to treat yourself and have something pretty to look at.
Ha ha! You and I are cut out of the same cloth, Megan. I told my husband pretty early on (after he had purchased one too many expensive bouquets) that I just didn’t like bouquets that cost so much! He spent $100 on a bouquet once or twice, and it just made me feel sick! I mean, it was sweet, but I am just like you in thinking that the money could be used elsewhere! I would vastly prefer a dinner and a movie to a bouquet of roses that will wither in a week. He knows, now, that a $5 bouquet (even a $15 bouquet on special occasions) from the grocery store will do nicely. 🙂
I love this! It is so important to indulge in something that makes you happy. There is so much negativity out there and if $5 worth of flowers brings you some joy that wonderful! I should really start doing that. I usually indulge in chocolate. haha It’s my kryptonite.
Elizabeth Ann // http://www.lovedoinglife.com
Mmmm. Chocolate sounds fantastic!
Bethany,
High five to Saia for being so wise! Treating yourself once in a while is so good for the soul indeed.
I’ve been splurging on these $8 milkshakes… which yes, are way overpriced. It’s not like it’s organic, grass fed milk — it’s just a pricey milkshake. I know I could make a cheaper one at home. I know there are cheaper ones around town. But I love going to this particular place as a family. We always go through the drive-thru because well, it’s easier, but also because since the lines are crazy long ( #sugarisadrug #yup) it gives us this sweet family time. They also give out dog treats so bring Mattie and she has her head out the window anxious with anticipation the moment we drive up.
Enjoy the big things and the little things. 🙂
Also, totally unrelated, if you guys are still doing paleo, Against All Grain’s Celebrations boo has some really great Thanksgiving recipes.
Hey Katie! I have been thinking about you and your sweet baby boy. He is just the cutest! And I love the name. 🙂 Sometimes it is just so worth it to splurge, isn’t it? Even if it is a pricey milkshake or some flowers that you don’t really need. Especially when you are adjusting to life with a new baby! You take care of yourself, mama! I am with you one hundred percent.
Thanks for the suggestion! I will be sure to check those recipes out. I need to do an update on our psoriasis/diet journey. I will try to put one together this week!
I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving week!
I’m right there with you! I love buying myself (or having the hubby buy me) flowers even though I know it’s really not practical! There’s something so homey about having fresh flowers on the table and that’s worth the cost!
I agree! Fresh flowers are simply the best.
Bethany, I love this! In my super-frugalness, I have often had this same conversation with myself, but I never wind up buying the flowers. In the summertime, it’s totally fine because my favorite “flower” is the dandelion (and sometimes my husband picks dandelion bouquets for me), but in the other parts of the year, I can’t rely on wild-growing flowers. Hence, the dilemma in the store. I think I’m going to treat myself and start buying flowers occasionally. Thanks for this encouragement! 🙂
I love dandelions too! How sweet is your husband to pick you a dandelion bouquet. What a great guy!
I did this a couple of weeks ago – I saw bright orange and purple flowers that I loved at the grocery store. I was so on the fence but I decided to buy them and they really did make me feel happy when I saw them in my house for the next week!
It is amazing how such a small purchase can brighten the entire house, isn’t it?!
Fresh flowers really do bring life into a room!
They really do!
Oh Bethany, I am SO happy that you do this for yourself! Having lived a *ahem* tad longer than you, I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are spending your resources very thoughtfully, and Saia is very wise indeed.
We are here on earth to experience joy, and love, and wonder, and excitement! The point is not to deprive ourselves and be miserable, and then 40 years from now look back and say “I should have bought the flowers”.
Always, when in doubt…buy the flowers!
Cat, aw, I love this wisdom from you! It is sobering to think about what regrets I may have in 40 years, and to live in light of that fact. Thank you for always being so supportive. You’re the best!