The other side of the coin

Looking at my financial diary (this blog), I realized in my ever-practical way that most of my posts focus on dealing with expected and unexpected expenses. I’m sure this is the case for most of us, whether it is top-of-mind or not. After all, our obligations have a direct influence on the amount of money we have to use in other ways.

There is another side of the coin. Windfalls. Those little unexpected gifts and bonuses that occasionally come our way. We’re not always talking money, although that is sometimes the case. And because these windfalls are by definition unexpected, they are significant and meaningful.

Looking at the past month, two examples leap to mind. An uncle visiting from Europe passed along an envelope containing a small wad of US dollars.
He said he’s not planning to visit the lower 48 again and thought my son and might find a good use for the cash.

And then there was the pair of tickets and a parking pass to a recent Giants hockey game. On top of a great evening with my son, the Giants scored six goals, which meant every audience member received a gift certificate for a free appetizer at a White Spot restaurant. As we’re likely to eat there at least once before the certificate expires, it is windfall that is going to give at least one more time.

My most significant windfall of all-time was probably worth all of three dollars. Shortly after my marriage ended and was wandering around wondering what happened, I decided to spurge and buy a cup of coffee. At the time, I was so financially tight the restaurants and cups of coffee for a $1.70 were actually beyond my financial reach. For whatever reason, as I splurged, the barista seemed to guess something wasn’t quite right and gave me a certificate for my next drink.

So, at the risk of being long-winded from a soap-box, pay as much attention to the windfalls in life as the expenses. If expenses are karma then windfalls must be one of the grace notes in a life.