Because damn near every article on the Internet has something to do with the economy, I’ve found myself reading a significant number of features with money saving tips for “times like these.” There are some good ones like, “Eat the food you buy.” Apparently, we throw away approximately 15-25% of the food we purchase at the supermarket. There are obvious ones like, “Turn off the lights.” I must remember to thank the genius who gave us that gem.
But, despite the fact that I’ve literally read hundreds of cost-saving articles, there remains one fact that is of particular importance to parents who travel with their children: Don’t forget sh*t.
We have just returned from a phenomenal Labor Day weekend trek to Southern California. As soon as we arrived at stop #1, I realized that we had forgotten the DVD charger. That little brainfart cost us approximately $30. On our last trip, I forgot my shorts: also about $30. And, earlier this summer, we forgot a stuffed animal we had purchased at the Boston Aquarium, which required a second visit on the way out of town: $25. We’re now down $85 simply because we had forgotten sh*t. It’s a costly lesson.
Sure, it’s simple to think, “It’s only $85.” This is true, but as “In this economy” becomes the most overused cliche since “It was a dark and stormy night,” $85 or $885, “don’t forget sh*t” is not to be forgotten.