Friday, May 14, 2010

Ironing out the Wrinkles 5.10.10


I don't much enjoy ironing.

I didn't much enjoy ironing as a teenager. (Just ask my mom who complained mightily about the state of my wrinkled clothes as I left for school each day.)

I didn't gain anymore appreciation for it as a young adult. (Just ask David who once ironed my very cool red circle skirt and white shirt so I could go on a date with another guy.)

And I certainly can't say that it's grown on me as an adult. (Just ask Frampton's Cleaners who has had my business for years and years.)

They way I see it, I can iron fewer than 3 of David's 100% cotton dress shirts an hour. Or...I can pay to have them washed and pressed for around $2 a shirt. I've always considered my time more valuable than $5 an hour.

Until now.

Suddenly we find ourselves in a penny-pinching mode. Blame it on the house. Or on our spending to furnish said house. Or me not teaching. Or the large cuts the symphony made to all of its staff salaries. Or really, blame it on all of the above.

Now really, I don't mind being frugal. Believe me, I know frugal. We lived on $13,000 our first year of marriage and $17,000 our second. We had one car for six and a half years, even though David worked in Salt Lake and I worked in Heber and Provo. In college, I once didn't grocery shop for nearly 6 months (we lived off David's parents' food storage.) And (David's mom's favorite story) I once gave David wrapped library books for Christmas.

But ironing? Sigh. It's really hard to have to be ironing again. Not only that, but I'm really not very good at it...

Looking on the bright side? We have shirts to iron. And electricity to run the iron. And I'm not having to iron shirts for other people to bring in extra income. And I can watch TV while I iron. Not so bad, after all.

But just as soon as I can, I'm giving my business back to Frampton's. I'm sure they miss me.

9 comments:

Gaylene said...

I feel your pain. I hate ironing--did as a child, as a teenager and as an adult. Luckily for me scrubs are the uniform of the profession.
Now to the library books--clever idea. But knowing you and the library system--did you have to pay a fine on those?

Anonymous said...

I despise ironing. My hubby irons all his own shirts and I have a huge basket of my stuff waiting to be ironed. I keep saying I'll rent a movie and get it all done...

Danielle said...

I was ironing just the other day, for the same reasons, and with the same feelings about it that you have. Sometimes being frugal just stinks.

Christina said...

Ugh. I'm not good at ironing. I'm so glad Eric learned how to iron on his mission and that he can wear business casual to work each day. Have you seen the youtube video of the Japanese man ironing the shirt? I think I saw it through a link on Ananda's site. I'll have to find it for you!

Christina said...

Here is that link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeA9gH_iWXY

Ananda's friend titled this link as "the sexiest man alive."

Kerri said...

That video is crazy. 3 minutes? It takes me more than 20. Lame-o.

Lara Neves said...

I hear you on the frugal thing. And the ironing thing, for that matter. I iron Joel's shirts in the dryer. :)

Malisa said...

Oh Gaylene, your comment made me laugh. Library fines? That's Kerri!

tonandboys said...

Oh, I detest ironing. As a result, my husband does not own a shirt without the words "wrinkle free" on the tag, and my favorite appliance is my steamer. I think your husband is so lucky that you take such good care of his clothes.