Like Father, Like Daughter

   It is no secret I come by my thrifty ways from my dad. He was always a saver on a catastrophic level, "storing nuts for the winter" on a natural disaster-government militia takeover-living underground for years-great depression survivor-level. When I talk about the small budget of a married couple, my mom still boasts, "Your father and I lived in a 300 sq. foot apartment with battleship gray cabinets and counters. We ate Encore and Banquet dinners from the freezer and we turned the coffee table sideways to use as a baby/dog gate." If extreme couponing and extreme cheapskates was on TV 35 years ago, my dad would have been an entire episode. Legit. I say all of this out of love and resounding gratefullness because now I have inherited these thrifty character traits that make our household budget healthy. Thanks, Dad!

   My parents have their own baby savings plan - for their grandbaby....my parents are not expecting their own baby, just to clarify. My dad saw my post about rolling coins for baby's savings account and took the liberty to "dumpster dive" his neighbors trash and pick out a wine/cider jug. He took the jug home and washed it and started a coin collection for the little man. I was very touched and not surprised at all by the trash picking element of this sentiment.

   Today, while on the phone with my mom, she tells me "Your father is all stocked up on ice packs for the baby." ::confused eyebrow raise:: I answered her, "I'm sorry, what? Ice packs? Do you foresee him getting hurt a lot?" Mom: "Well so many people in our neighborhood get their medication delivered to them and the medicine comes with ice packs. So he's been collecting them." Okay, THIS is surprising. According to my mother, because they live in a retirement community with a population that receives medication at their door on a regular basis, my dad is "dumpster diving" the entire neighborhood....for medical grade ice packs. At this point in the phone conversation, I am half hysterical with laughter and half with concern. "You're going to put trash-picked ice packs on my baby's face?! Because he's going to be hurt so often while in your care?!" Perhaps I should rethink grandparent daycare? (Just kidding ;o) )

   Honestly I was a little surprised at this savings effort. My dad assured me he washed and sanitized them all and they in the freezer "ready to go." LOL. When you think about it, they could come in handy - keeping my breastmilk cold, injuries, taking him to the pool or golf course and keeping his snacks and drinks cold, grandparents icing their sore joints after chasing him around all day...makes sense.