What I Spend Money On

I spend a lot of money on my children.  Yes, they are grown, but they never cease to be in need.  I had an opportunity to go shopping one day all alone.  I do not like to shop so I usually go with my daughter.   I seem to always spend more than I plan on, but the day I went alone, I spent less than I had spent in a long time.  I got everything that I needed and planned to get.  I even treated myself to dinner and still managed to spend only $700.  That $700 included a new computer.  I called my daughter and told her how much money I was able to not spend because she and my grandchildren were not with me.  She was so hurt.  Hurt because she was not there to help me spend. 

Then I started going back to all of the money I have spent just over the last year.  She even talked me into buying her a bike that she promptly stopped riding.  This was about two years ago.  Then she had the nerve to tell me that she needed a bike.  I asked. “What about the one I brought you.”  She looked at me strange as if not knowing what to say.  Then she quickly recovered and responded that something was wrong with the wheels.  Then had the nerve to give me a smile and say, you need one too mommy so we can ride together.  She knows I cannot ride.  That would be just more money I would have to spend in the emergency room. 

 What I buy most for myself is underwear.  I do not like shopping for clothes.  I do like electronics, but I can wait on them.  I did buy a Wii game.  Looking back over the years, I was the last in my family to own a microwave.  I was still using my stereo-component set with an 8-track player in 1999.  I have clothes from twenty years ago.  Then I asked myself, “Why are you so broke?”  The answer came that day.  My children keep taking my money.