Happy Thanksgiving Phase One

Okay I've had a post in my head for the last few days that was sounding kind of morose.  It wasn't my intention but that's how it was dancing around in my head.  So here's the deal.  I am cheap, I think I've mentioned it before but I'm all for a good deal.  My parents were both cheap too so I think it wore off on me and my brother.  We'll splurge on things that make sense and that will last a long time but in general big silly expenses we skip.  And almost anything can be classified as silly.  My brother is a little bit better than me but I am just flat out cheap.  Then a few days ago I restocked my gingerbread creme Oreos and got my custom cupcake and apron order from Cupcake Provocateur.  And a few days before that I bought myself a cd and the small humans (and myself) a copy of Brave.  And in a few days I'll get my quarterly dose of creamy crack which shouldn't be an expense that I'm quantifying but recall the previous I'm cheap statement.  Then it occurred to me.  I don't do that when I make donations.  I mean I don't make huge ones but I donate without blinking if the cause is important to me.  I usually don't do that when I'm making gift purchases--like I didn't think twice about buying a copy of Brave for the ex's kids cause that's just not something to be petty about.  I am the cheapest freaking human being when it comes to me and me alone.  I make the money that's making all of those purchases for everyone else but for me I limit my expenses as much as possible.  And that made me sad.  Why was I such a low priority for me?  Honestly there's not a good reason but I am cautious with money and the things I tend to want seem frivolous as a result.  Mind you I have more money in the bank now than I've had at the end of a month in God only knows and I'm working very hard to keep it that way (yeah side hustle a.k.a. teaching lol).  And the cheap is beyond money, I've not done a great job of taking care of much other than my hair and my teeth (very recently) and I need to do better.  Some days I'm just in need of a break and other days I deserve to have the unnecessary lunch at P.F. Chang's.  Either way I'm thankful for recognition and I need to do better.  Are you being cheap with yourself?  If you are what are you willing to do in order to take better care of you?

Thanksgiving cooking update: Cupcakes are done, breakfast muffins are done, duck is in the oven, turkey fryer is prepped with fresh oil and when the duck is closer to being done the turkey will get dropped into a vat of hot oil.  Then the fixings will get the hookup along with crescent rolls.  Somewhere in there I need to make a fresh pecan pie cause the one from last night went to hell.