An Announcement! and thoughts about buying local

I'd like to start with a little announcement...

Mr. Moon and I are getting married!!

He popped the question at my birthday party and of course, I said yes. Now we're in the whirlwind process of wedding planning. Which brought me to finally having a reason to buy the book that started one of my favorite blogs, Offbeat Bride.

So the book is $13.30 on Amazon with prime, 2-day free shipping. Or I could get it "used" but really new for $9-10 including shipping, but I'd have to wait longer. But let's check out the local book store? There's one I like a lot in town where they have a restaurant in the bookstore and a pub downstairs. But according to their website, they don't have the book in stock and it says it ships in 1-5 days. Plus I have to pay $17. Plus I have to put on pants, leave my house, talk to people, and I will probably buy a coffee or a beer while I'm there.

Financially, for me, it makes sense to buy it online, even if I pay the extra couple bucks for "give it to me right now" shipping. When faced with the prospect of planning a wedding with two receptions (oh trust me I'm sure I'll write about it, but that's a story for another day) with no knowledge of any financial assistance from our parents, I'm looking at every penny we have being a choice between Wedding Stuff and [whatever I'm looking at].

But on a larger, "I'm not the only important thing in the universe" scale, I really want to support local businesses. I know I haven't always done my part in that area of my life, and it's something I'm certainly working toward doing better at this year. I just have to weigh my own needs and abilities against that, and sometimes that means making sacrifices for the greater good; sometimes it's the other way around. I'm not going to choose against buying local over a couple dollars or a modicum of effort on my part. Significant savings, though, and I have to seriously consider it.

Thankfully in this particular case, Amazon is local, as is the author whose book I'm buying. Sorry Local Bookstore, if you'd had it in stock I might have paid the extra $4 for the book to have an excuse to leave my nest and go buy a beer with my love. Instead I'm buying it online and drinking a beer from the fridge!

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