Bad Math

I usually get on here to share what Miss Kellan is doing or put up pictures or give a report of our day to days. This evening I feel compelled to share a personal story. Hopefully I can do it justice with a pen......

So, a couple days ago a friend of mine shared that she and her husband have put several textbooks up for sale on Amazon and are, "making a killing". She suggest that I do that too, as I am currently rooting through and thinning out our book collection. I lament to her that our textbooks are too old to sell for anything on Amazon - she counters with the fact that she sold one of her husbands three year old text for more than he paid for it. Hmmm

You can see where this is heading. I get online and although none of our texts are bringing top dollar, I figure a few dollars per book is better than nothing - right? I post several books and figure if I end up with 15-20 bucks to spend on a couple books for me I have done well.

Imagine my suprise when my 2 1/2 year old calculus text sells in just under 13 hours. I rock at Amazon online sales!!!!!! I spend 10 minutes cleaning up the pencil marks, drive to the dollar store to purchase an envelope to mail it, go the the Post Office - have I mentioned that I loathe the Post Office? I use a package of M&M's to entice Bryce to sit still and cooperate as I pack the book and use the self checker-outer postage machine. I am suprised that postage to mail said book parcel post is 7.22 - ouch, but Amazon is giving me some $ to offset shipping so no worries.

I get online to see how to collect my dough. I see that the total amount I am due is 6.95. WHAT??? Well Amazon gives you an amount for postage - 3.45, but they have a fee on top of thier 10% so....6.95.

If I figure in the envelope and the bribe for Bryce I am at this point down a little over 2 bucks. I now feel like I have been violated. All that time, a trip to the post office and all to pay a couple of bucks for some chick in MO to have my very old college text book.

Maybe I should feel like I have done my very "green" part -- I saved that calc book from an immediate trip to the dump, I am responsible for its stay of execution from the land fill. I don't feel this way. Instead I feel like this is a lovely metaphore for how I feel about life right now. A lot of time, effort and money in.......-2.05 out.