Sounds like the start of a joke, eh? Then what’s the punchline?
A couple days ago, it was “pay time” for my kids for their “allowance”. (That is, the day we pay them for the fulfillment of certain chores.) As I was handing out money, my wife says to me, “I want $20.”
I said, “Okay. But I don’t have it in cash.”
Then she said. “Actually, I want $100.”
I glance at her sideways, and go, “Okaaay. But I don’t have that in cash either.”
“Doesn’t have to be cash. But I want $100.”
At this point, I figure it is some kind of test and go with it.
Then, next day, she says to me, “Actually, I need $100 a month.”
Now, she knows our budget. She knows how it all works. And I say, “Um. Why do you need $100 a month?”
She shrugs. “I just do. Can you make it happen?”
“Well,” I say, hesitantly, “That’s fine. But we’ll have to take the money from another budget category, like the amount we put into savings each month for vacations or something.”
“That’s fine. Make it happen.”
So, I press her further. “What is this about?”
She refuses to tell me, but then says, “Well, it isn’t for right away. I need $100 a month for probably about 78 months.”
“That’s $7800!”
“Yes. Once I have it, I can tell you.”
For fear of becoming the proverbial dead cat, I pushed for more info. Because, see, we aren’t the secretive type. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, I convince her to reveal her plans to me.
“Well, I just thought it would be cool if, in about 6 years from now, when we start to plan our 30th anniversary, that I tell you that we’re going to stay in the Star Wars hotel at Walt Disney World. And when you ask how we will afford to pay for it, I’d pull out the $7800! You’d be so surprised!”
Isn’t she the sweetest thing? We’re still almost 2 years away from our 25th anniversary trip, and she’s already thinking about our 30th!
