On the precipice

It has been almost two months since I lost my job and for almost two months, my credit cards have been under severe lockdown. Think Confessions of a Shopaholic, minus the big block of ice. In my situation my credit cards have been frozen in a figurative block of ice.

Until today. Or tomorrow maybe. Or the next day.

You see, I'm contemplating using my Home Depot card. I know. What could possibly be so important that I absolutely need to buy it right now? And at Home Depot, no less.

I realized tonight that despite the fact that when I moved into my apartment, I bought two storage cabinets and a rolling cutter block island; I still don't have enough kitchen storage space. The kitchen in my apartment came outfitted with one cabinet approximately 1 1/2 feet tall anchored to the wall above my sink and two long thin drawers above two long thin cabinets (best for cookie sheets, not much else) on either side of the useless cabinet beneath the sink.

After my most recent shopping trip just this afternoon (yes, I'm still bargain grocery shopping like crazy); I realized my kitchen is bursting at the seems.

The main problem with my kitchen when you look at trying to add storage is the interior and exterior window placement. There is an interior window less than 50 inches wide that overlooks the sunroom. A marble countertop runs between the kitchen and the sunroom. The marble countertop has a lip that juts out 6 inches from the wall on either side of the window. The lip is approximately 30.5 inches from the floor. In my original search for kitchen storage cabinets, I had a very hard time finding a cabinet only 30 inches high to fit precisely beneath the marble lip and abut to the wall.

After walking to Wal-mart this evening hoping to contemplate purchasing a third storage cabinet only to discover the style I purchased earlier in the year has been discontinued, I decided to go on an internet hunt to see what's currently available. The reason I had originally decided to get another cabinet from Wal-mart is because I can enjoy 0% financing for one year using my Wal-mart card with a purchase of $299. I figured I could purchase the cabinet and other useful items from Wal-mart that I would need over the next year: toilet paper, paper towels, tampons, etc. And take a year to pay it off interest free. After perusing Wal-mart.com and confirming that my exact kitchen cabinets had indeed been discontinued, I turned next to Home Decorator's Collection Outlet Store (www.homedecoratorsoutlet.com). After carefully browsing the website, I discovered the most perfect cabinets imaginable. Maple/natural finish, 30 inches high, 25 inches wide, two shelves, glass doors, and a drawer. The best part? On sale $79.99 down from $179.99. Two cabinets would fit precisely beneath the 50-inch wide marble lip in either my sun room or kitchen.

The down side of finding the most perfect cabinets for my kitchen, is that they cost, well, really anything at all. Luckily, Home Decorators Collection also offers free financing: 0% interest for six months with a purchase of $299. Not as good as Wal-mart but free financing nonetheless. With a $300 purchase, I could have the cabinets paid off in 6 months if I paid $50 a month. This is not sounding too bad!

Until I browse some more on the web site and find a media center matching the bookshelf and table I already own. On sale $174.99 down from $349. Now I'm in turmoil.

The media center I currently own looks like it belongs in a college dorm. In fact, I probably purchased it in college. Or right after.

The moral dilemma is this: if I buy both cabinets and the matching media center I will have to pay $470. That's roughly $80 a month. In better financial times, this would be no problem. In a way, I'm sort of proud of the fact that I have yet to use a credit card since I lost my job. On the other hand, I really, really want those kitchen cabinets. And the media center would look really nice in my apartment. And maybe I'll be hired for a job some time soon. Very soon.

As it happens I did have some good news this morning. I got a call from a company I submitted my resume to for a proofreading position. I'm scheduled to take a proofreading test Monday at 10 a.m. I'm excited because I love to read and have a natural habit of proofreading anything I read. I think I'd be perfect for the job. I have no idea what the pay would be. So long as it's at what I'm currently making on unemployment (ideally more than what I'm currently making), I think it's a great opportunity. It's considered a freelance position in that it's contract - only lasts a few months.

As I wrestled with the idea of busting out my credit card for this one minor purchase, my dad suggested waiting until next week to see if there's a real possibility of a job. Good thought.

I think the big problem with me breaking the ice on my credit cards is that it could be a slippery slope after the first purchase. At any rate, I need some more time to decide. If I can wait that long...