Confessions Of A Frail Ego: I Want Bragging Rights!

I am human, and my frailties are many. This is not a religious confession, but rather, a preface to explain one facet of my motivation for a recent financial move.

But first, let's obtain some context. I was speaking by phone to my sister today. Being the product of the same upbringing, we share a similar pathology when it comes to getting the best possible price on an item, because being known as the king or queen of the deal gets you tremendous status in our family.

That time I bought pants for a penny? In my family, it represented a milestone akin to becoming a made man in the mafia. At every family reunion since that day, distant cousins go out of their way to kiss my ring and exalt my shopping acumen. A younger couple might extend a wrist to flash me a piece of jewelry purchased on sale, or take out a phone to bring up a photo of a deeply discounted sofa bed. The couple will give me an ingratiating smile in hopes that I'll nod my approval and provide them the validation they so desperately seek from someone of my elevated status: that they are in my league of shoppers.

Which brings me back to that call with my sister today. As kids, we shared our small victories by telling one another of our big scores. A pair of shoes found at a Ross discount store for 60% of retail got you a high five. Never mind that we had ample shoes, for us, at that time, it was about the thrill of the hunt.

In the years since, as I've tried to eliminate my consumption associated dopamine hits. I've built in "mourning time" in my shopping experience. Now I go to the used gear sale with an extra half hour, so that I can appreciate those items that are such a compelling price, and then eventually bid them farewell and put them back in the bin. It's a big mental shift to find a deal without consummating the purchase.

Loans have dropped to historic lows, and suddenly that old feeling kicked in of wanting (needing?) to make the big score as a discount junkie. We had refinanced our home a decade ago, with decent savings, but nothing like what was available today. I had planned to knock out the remainder of our mortgage over the next decade and a half give or take, and we'd been paying extra as a habit on our monthly mortgage payment.

But a half point to be able to say I got a 15 year fixed rate for 2.25%? That was simply to great a deal to resist. There have been minor hassles despite the entirely virtual application process - a visit to the notary public here, a privately arranged security deposit box visit with a closed bank branch there - but we are in the final weeks preceding final approval.

I am cautiously optimistic that my new mortgage rate will reinvigorate my bragging rights, and ultimately, my claim to the throne.

With apologies to Jim Morrison,

I am the penny pants king

I can do anything!

What areas of life do you feel a compulsion to dominate?