Ebay addiction...

I don't get out to shop much. To be honest, keeping up with my three kids and my house and a writing job, well, that pretty much does me in. Yes, there are the occasional trips for essentials and the grocery store, but other than that, my days of browsing are limited.

That is probably a very good thing.

Maybe even something God is using to help keep me from spending too much.

Ebay isn't a brand new thing for me. I began dabbling with it a little last year when I wanted to sell some vintage cameras and knew the antique shops would rip me off. So I armed myself with my digital camera and went to work. I sold two of the seven items I listed the first go around, bought a set of tapes I had been looking for and then got too busy to bother with it.

As money is so tight this year I've been worried about being able to buy any Christmas gifts for the kids this year. Hence my plan to buy just a few items with each paycheck so that the kids will at least get something. Hence my search on EBay for toys.

Wow.

I just never realized how much stuff was on there. Then I thought, maybe there are school uniforms on here, too. A-ha. The size 6x lands end pants are mine! I was so excited to win the auction, I found it to be a little addictive.

It reminded me of going to a farmers auction with my father when I was young. Come to think of it, it's probably his genes at fault since I remember coming home to a very angry mother when we won the bidding on a goat. I named him Billy (pathetically uncreative I know.) And another time we won three geese. Then a pair of peacocks. It got to the point that my mother swore not to let us back in the house if we came home with anything else that breathed. It was just so much fun to compete...and win:-)

I won something else today (a toy for my five year old) and I won't admit how many items are on my "watch list". Even though I feel a little bad buying used toys for Christmas, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. And besides, I think she'll love it.

Now I'm just trying to stay away from the search button, because I just can't justify buying some of the other things I've found on there and the "Bid Now" button is just a little too tempting.

It takes me a while to feel comfortable with new things. I still pay my bills by writing out checks even though paying them online would save me both money and time. I'm not quite ready for that. And I'm still not sure about the whole Paypal thing - it confuses me a bit, but I'm learning.

In the meantime, I've only got ten minutes until the next auction ends...