Things I Don't Buy

As with umm some people, I have idiosyncrasies. For example, there are certain large ticket items that I just don't (or put off) buying. Witness the 11 year old car that didn't like summer that I finally replaced. Or the fact that until my husband forced me to buy a tv for the family room when we moved, I had never (and I truly mean never) bought a tv. Ever.

In fact, the only vacuum I've ever had used to be my Gram's. She very generously gave me her (my mom said) $500 vacuum. And really, it was a good vacuum. It even told me how dirty the floor was, so I was able to continue going over the floor until it showed the pretty green.


Wait, you recognize this vacuum? And you remember it having a different kind of attachment, too? The kind that made it a standup push vacuum? Yeah, me, too. It used to have this part. That was the part with the pretty red and green lights.

About four years ago, something on the vacuum broke (a belt maybe?). My husband took it to Sears to be fixed. Three weeks and $170 later, the vacuum was as good as new. Mostly. Another year, another $170 later, and it was again fixed.

Last fall, the standup part stopped working. It just wouldn't get power anymore. We debated sending it to Sears yet again to be "fixed" but ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the time and money. Again. My mom rallied against this plan, reminding me how good of a vacuum it was and how expensive. Well, now with three repairs I could have bought a brand new Dyson or other functional vacuum with all sorts of new-fangled technology. I assume.

When I was doing some Christmas shopping last year, I happened across this pretty little number.

See, it's purple! And I believe it cost $15.

I now understand why this thing cost $15. It quite simply doesn't suck. I didn't realize it at first, as my house magically doesn't get that dirty. Eventually, the truth dawned on me that it simply moves dirt around in the air and never goes into the holder container. Apparently you get what you pay for in vacuums.

So while I debate actually buying a new vacuum, we've been using the attachment portion of the old vacuum. It might be faster to just pick up each individual piece of dirt, but yet I procrastinate.

Then I see that Mama's Losin' It is giving away a beautiful vacuum. Is it providence that I haven't bought a new vacuum yet? Or is this just the final nudge that I need to get my rear end into a Costco and find a new vacuum?

You do need to go check out her vacuum though. It's a gorgeous Hoover that apparently really sucks -- in the right way -- and moves by itself. Vacuuming could become a less than three hour activity with something like that! Can you imagine?