Don't Discount Humor

I was in the market for refrigerator magnets, but not just any kind of refrigerator magnets (I have plenty of funny ones and business ones, too).  I was looking for the kind of magnets that are a clip that allows you to attach multiple sheets of paper to it (a must when you homeschool a child).  

I pitched the idea to go the store finding magnet clips to my husband as an outing.  Sure, we go funner places, but sometimes simple outings can be surprisingly...inspirational.

He asked me where.  I took a breath and told him that I would like to go to a dollar store.  He stared at me.  I stared back.  We don't usually go to dollar stores, as we have preconceived idea that everything there might not be of good quality.  He suggested Target.  I told him that we should try the dollar store and then maybe Target if the dollar store didn't work out.  He suggested Target, again.  I was firm and told him that we'd try the dollar store.  

So we went.  There were nice cars in the parking lot - newer model Hondas and even a late model Ford F150.  I was feeling good about it.  Then I saw a sign and felt better about it.  

Just what is "For Life?"  Your savings?  Maybe.  Because it cannot be the items you purchased there, as they must be made of inferior quality to be so cheap.  Still, I appreciate the lack of explanation in regards to the sign's message.  

Then I saw the message on the truck noted above: "Low Prices Born Here and Raised Elsewhere."  If you don't give it enough thought, you might not understand that the advertisement is alluding to the fact that other stores will "raise" their prices, while this store "births" them here.  (True story: it took me a lot of time figuring out just what the heck they meant.  Were they saying that they birthed their products and then had them grow up elsewhere?)

But my favorite sign was this one:

What in God's name does "99.99¢" mean?  How much money is that?  I don't get it.  It doesn't compute.

Still, I searched the store for refrigerator magnet clips.  I didn't find that, but found a turkey baster and a mug.  I then saw the long line of customers waiting in a line for the sole cashier at the store.  We left the store, the mug, the turkey baster, and 20 minutes of our life that we will never get back behind.  

Yes, we went to Target. $7.95 were spent on a pack of OXO Softwise Kitchen Magnet Clips.  Overpriced?  Absolutely.  But these bad boys are supposed to be able to hold up to 15 sheets of paper.  

It was a relief to be there.  There were lots of manned registers to be found:

Also, they spoke money in a way I could understand:

Still, lessons were learned.  I won't discount the entertainment value that I can find in discount stores (I am not going to apologize for the bad pun).  You have to take amusement wherever you can.

Cyndia Rios-Myers