Who Should Save For A Rainy Day?

Why should I save for a rainy day? In spite of living in Southern California, I have two umbrellas. I'm more than ready.

The jar of found money on my bureau isn't for a rainy day. It's what my grandmother called mad money. It's for something I don't need - something frivolous. Okay, I haven't been able to think of anything frivolous to spend it on yet. I'm a transplanted, practical-to-the-point-of-paranoia New Englander - which explains why I have two umbrellas. Knowing my penchant for saving, my husband suggested I use the money in the jar to buy a bigger jar.

Yes, I'm a saver; but not just money. I save time. For example, I organize my grocery list by supermarket sections - frozen foods, canned goods, bakery, beverages, paper supplies, pharmaceutical and miscellaneous. Miscellaneous includes things like potato chips. Potato chips seem less fattening when they're categorized as miscellaneous instead of snacks. Produce is always last on my list because that's where I spend the most time. I envy people who can just scoop green beans into a plastic bag or take a basket of tomatoes without checking each one. Nevertheless, the time I save in the supermarket is time I can spend on me. I consider this kind of spending to be an investment - in my sanity.

Then there's calories. Having an open-face sandwich uses only half the bread, thus half the calories. Then I feel less guilty about having potato chips too.

Saving face, saving wear and tear, saving grace - there are lots of things to save. The only thing I don't want to save is the best for last. If I did, I couldn't put my best foot forward.
Of course, to put my best foot forward, I'll need new shoes, which I can buy on sale. Have you noticed? There are always sales. They used to be holiday-related, but now there's a sale for every day of the week that ends in the letter "Y".

No, saving for a rainy day isn't for me. It wasn't for Noah's wife either. She had to spend all her rainy-day savings on pet food. The only person I can think of who should be saving money now is Prince Charles' wife, Camilla. She should be stocking up on discount gowns, Zircon tiaras and slightly irregular, king-size sheets. After all, when Charles is king, every day will be a "reigny" day.