A Lifeline for When You’re Down in the Dumps

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If you have been alive for any length of time, I know you understand what it means to be down in the dumps. Have you ever found yourself there? I would bet that you have, at least if you are human.

Just today I have found myself down in the dumps, and I am so thankful that I have this lifeline already in place. Of course if your life is like mine, you can find yourself down in the dumps for many reasons, and there are many times that this remedy just can’t be applied for practical purposes – unless you are lucky enough to have unlimited resources. Since this is not the case for me and for most people I know, I will assume as though your resources are a bit limited as mine are. Or maybe they’re a lot limited, I get that, too.

So, what is this lifeline for getting yourself out of the gloomy dumps? Let me set it up for you.

If you have been a reader here for any length of time, you probably know that I live a rather frugal life. If you watched my Periscope broadcast today, I even shared that I may in fact be the cheapest person on the planet. On that broadcast, I talked about my two favorite deal sites: Money Saving Mom and Hip2Save. I browse these sites a few times a day to watch for the deals that I need to take advantage of. Primarily, I am looking for the free stuff, in all honesty.

However, there are times that I find an amazing deal on something that I want, and if I have the wiggle room in my budget to take advantage of buying something for pennies on the dollar, I jump on it. I am in no way an impulse buyer as I have been told that it is easier to pull the teeth out of a lion than it is to get me to spend any money, especially on something for myself, but on occasion, I know that I will need a little something.

So, here is my lifeline:

When I come across a crazy cheap want (as opposed to a need) that I can take advantage of, when I get it, I tuck it away in my gift stash. This is not the gift stash that I spoke of in Stress Free Gift Shopping. This is a gift stash that is just for me. I have my own stash of gifts that are just for myself, and this is my lifeline.

My stash is not extensive, and it is not comprised of expensive things either, and as tempting as it is to just give myself whatever it is when it arrives, I know there will be a time that this “want” will be a lifeline of sorts for me. With that in mind, I tuck it away in my down in the dumps gift stash.

Let me give you a quick example. Being down in the dumps today is primarily a result of the third day in a row of gloomy, rainy, unseasonably cold weather combined with the fact that the first signs of fall are beginning to emerge and my husband also started back in at school today. Let me say that I still have so much to be thankful for, and I am, but with the weight of the world on my shoulders for these reasons I am just down today.

I have been getting some cleaning and organizing projects around the house completed lately, and as I went to my down in the dumps gift stash, I found the perfect thing – towels! New bathroom towels that I purchased more than two years ago, but since I bought them literally for mere pennies on a black Friday sale, I bought them even though I didn’t really need them at the time. The bathroom towels in my kids’ bathroom have been looking really shabby for at least 18 months, so these towels were the perfect pick me up today. My kids’ bathroom feels bright and cheery when I walk past and see them hanging there, and, my house that is beginning to feel sparkly clean showcases these new towels beautifully.

I am someone who feels a pick me up by something to decorate my home. I wrote about it over on Money Saving Mom earlier this year in my post How I Made Money Redecorating My Home. You can find some great tips there.

But, maybe something new for your home isn’t the right pick me up for you. If not, what is? A new scarf, a new pair of earrings, or maybe a fresh day planner or a good book? Are these your pick me ups? Figure out what is your pick me up and then, keep your eyes peeled on the deal sites I named or any other deal site for when your pick me up becomes affordable for you. Then, tuck it away for those times when you need it, like I did today.

My down in the dumps stash also includes a few candles, some new covers for throw pillows, and even a new pair of sheets – all things that I picked up at super cheap prices.

I cannot tell you how these towels lifted my spirits today, which is just what I needed. I challenge you to start your own down in the dumps stash for yourself. It will take awhile if you are selective cheap in waiting for the right price like I am, but even just a couple of things there waiting for you can be just the lifeline you need when life gives you lemons.