No Eagles Were Harmed in This Experiment

"They're so tight they can make an eagle scream" is an expression used to describe someone who is so reluctant to spend money that they can make the eagle on a quarter scream in pain when it's pried from their hand.

Despite what this may sound like to you as it unfolds, I can assure you in front of God and two other responsible witnesses that the eagle on the quarter in my change purse never let out a peep.  Not from July 10th to yesterday, a time span of four months.

My long-term windfall began innocently enough.  Richie and I decided to go to La Vegas for three days, beginning July 10th.  To fund my gambling, I withdrew five $20s from my account and stowed all but one of them in the back of my checkbook (which is an excellent hiding place, by the way.)

I lost $4 at video poker at the Rio and I exerted so much effort winning it back that I really didn't have the stomach to dip into my fund and gamble more.

Once home, the money languished in my calendar until we flew to Marseilles for that wedding.  I wanted some walking around money and Richie wanted to cash in some traveler's checks.  We walked into the nearst bank and were politely told, "Oh, no, we do not accept American money -- and, Monsieur, no one in France will take your traveler's checks."

Richie is rather stubborn and he tried three other banks to no avail.  So my $100 had a free tour of France.  Again it languished unspent through September.

On October 11th, I took $40 with me to the jazz club and bought the first pitcher of beer ($14 with $26 leftover)  At the end of October, we hit a couple library book sales, but the grand total for that was maybe $6.50.  I remember a couple of runs into the supermarket and paying cash for such as two sandwich rolls or a pound of hambuger or a can of corn.  I paid $7 cash for a prescription drug.

Yesterday I was finally down to a dollar bill and a dollar's worth of change.  Make no mistake, I can spend like a drunken sailor when I'm using a credit card (and, sadly, often have) but it takes me a long time to spend it when it's cash.  I mean, cash is worth something, right?