Extra Dollar

I have a confession to make. A few weeks ago I was at a big box store doing some Christmas shopping. I was in a rush, on my lunch break and on a budget. (I have been using cash to ensure I don’t over spend, but I also needed to make sure to keep $5 to get a joint gift for my boss for his birthday.)

I paid for my purchases and headed to my car. It was there I realized that the cashier had given me one too many dollars. Here comes my dilemma: I was sitting in the parking lot, hadn’t even started my car I could have easily walked back in, handed it to customer service and gone on my merry way. After all that was the RIGHT thing to do.

But….

I was getting close to the end of my break, and if I returned the dollar, I would be one dollar short for my allotted $5, and the gift was being purchased that night after work. No time for me to acquire another $1.

So I turned on my car, and left. (I know, I know…hide the children…I’m a monster.)

In reality, the big box store would not miss $1. The cashier would not get in trouble for $1 (when I was a retail manager, we often would be missing much more than $1 and no one ever got in trouble).

I felt guilt ridden as I drove to work, and gave the $5 to my co-worker. That’s when I told myself I would donate money the next time I saw a red kettle, or was asked if I’d like to donate a dollar to toys for tots. Or SOMETHING. I would do something.

Of course, the next time I saw a red kettle all I had was a $20. As much as I’d love to have dropped that bill in there, I didn’t budget it in. Not that I couldn’t afford it, just not that paycheck.

Just adding on to that guilt I already felt. I had images of starving children, lonely dogs shivering in a SPCA cage, empty shelves in a food pantry. I GET IT ALREADY!

So in the past week I’ve thrown in some change at the same red kettle I had previously jilted $20. We’ve had a united way campaign going on at work for a month or so, with different ways to donate. This month they’re doing ornaments to dedicate to a family member who’s passed away. So I bought a $2 ornament for Tyson’s dad. (I honestly don’t know how his family would feel about that, but I thought it was important. I didn’t know his dad how everyone else does, but I still feel a grief for the father in law I’ll never know and the grandfather my daughter will never have. But that’s another post for another time.)

The basic jist I’m getting at is it feels GOOD to give. I actually look forward to the next little red kettle I see. I think after Christmas I will try to budget in being able to give more often. People need all throughout the year, not just December.

Do you donate or volunteer?