Today was an expensive day. We drove for about an hour to a pumpkin patch, where we picked pumpkins. Then we went out to a late lunch. It was a wonderful family time, but it was certainly expensive.
This meant that we had to buy gas. We also paid admission to the pumpkin patch and we bought a number of pumpkins. Of course, we paid for lunch too. The bill for the day was likely around $80.
Now, I love creating wonderful family traditions, and while I am not nearly as tradition-oriented and season-celebrating as I’d like to be, the pumpkin patch visit is something that we’ve done every year since my daughter was born. It’s something that we look forward to because it is a fun harvest activity, and since we get very few weekend days as a family, it is something that we look forward to as family time as well.
But is it worth $80?
Maybe yes, maybe no. We could do this a lot more cheaply. We could get one or two pumpkins. We could bring a picnic lunch. We could just go home for lunch, although that would likely cause so much complaining that it wouldn’t be worthwhile.
How long does it take me to make $80? Well, that totally depends on the work that I do. Hours, at least. For my husband, it takes less time that it takes me. Is the time I spend making that money worth the time we have at the pumpkin patch and going out to lunch?
In the end, this event is probably worth it. However, many other expenses are not worthwhile when I look at them in this way. Do I need to get a new shirt for $80? Not for hours of work, I don’t, not when I can get one for $5 at the thrift store. It’s just not worth the extra hassle.
Do you examine your expenses in this way? Why or why not?