Fun Money Report for... ? months
Boy, it's been a minute since I did one of these! The last time I wrote a report was in early February, as a report on January's spending. So, I guess it's been almost four months.
I only spent $36 of my fun money in January, leaving me with $64 to roll into the next month.
Then we add in $100 for February, $100 for March, $100 for April, and $100 for May (since we are at the end of May now!), which adds up to $464.
How did I do on spending that?
Let's see.
I bought a toolbox ($78)
I have a rather random assortment of tools, some from my marital home, some from Buy Nothing, and some from Book Club Elaine's husband.
Until now, they have been living in a jumbled mess in one of my kitchen drawers. This made it extremely inconvenient to find, say, a pair of pliers or a particular screwdriver.
Lisey alerted me to the fact that Lowe's has a line of colorful toolboxes, so I went to check them out, and I was sorely disappointed by the sizing. You can barely fit a hammer into one of these, which is annoying.
(And it also feels vaguely sexist, because is the idea here that women only want cute toolboxes, not serious toolboxes? What if we do actually have tools but also want a purple toolbox? Is that too much to ask???)
Anyway, I was about to be like, "Well, I guess I'll go hunt for a used red toolbox somewhere." But then I remembered that I had fun money to spend, and I decided I just wanted a toolbox right then and there, without the hassle of shopping used.
So, I impulsively bought one.
I brought it home, used some old foam to line the drawers, and organized my tools.
This is SO MUCH BETTER.
I also added Snoopy stickers because if I can't have a purple toolbox, I am at least going to have a Snoopy toolbox, OKAYYYYY?
I bought a car wash membership ($29.95)
It has been a very, very long time since I had a new car, so I was honestly not at all in the habit of washing my vehicle.
But during spring pollen season, it was sort of bothering me to see my shiny new car covered in yellow dust.
So, I bought a month-long unlimited wash membership just for the heck of it. Prior to this, I had maybe bought a handful of car washes in my entire life.
Which means this feels terribly luxurious, and that is kind of the whole point of fun money. Every time I go through the car wash, I'm like, "Ooooh, I am so fancy!"
So, I feel pleased with this expenditure.
$15 on bakery outings
You know how one of my coping mechanisms for my BSN program was to go to some other locales to do homework?
That's what this money was spent on. 🙂
How much money is left?
If my calculations are correct, I have $341 sitting in my fun money account, with another $100 set to land in June.
The fact that I am doing poorly at spending my fun money tells me that my "treat myself" muscle is pretty weak.
I mean, when I do treat myself, I feel thrilled! I love my toolbox. I am unreasonably pleased every time I get a car wash. My little bakery outings feel luxurious.
But for whatever reason (ok, probably there are many reasons!), I can go months without ever thinking of spending some money on myself.
This isn't necessarily bad or wrong, I guess. But I would like to keep getting better at injecting some delight into my life because all saving and no spending makes for a dull Kristen. 😉
So much fun and still much practicality in this report. For me, the practicality makes the fun so much better. I was surprised ans delighted to read that you bought the toolbox that day. Booo to aesthetic but not useful items like the purple toolbox, and thank goodness for Snoopy! And it was fun thinking of you sitting in your car wash all happy each time. And you're right, keep exercising that TREAT YO'SELF muscle. It's fun to see what and how you spend!
Aren't you being sexist to think only women would want a purple toolbox?
Haha, well, maybe? The colors the mini toolbox comes in are classic colors for marketing to women, though: pastel pink, mint green, etc.
However: just this morning I saw that Craftsman makes a very large purple toolbox! https://www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/tools-storage-and-organization/tool-cabinets/2052485
We have one of those in red.
WHOA! That's PURPLE!
Gender shouldn't be linked to colour but it definitely is in marketing; sometimes stores will explicitly divide children's clothes that way, and also with toys. Boys apparently only want clothes with rockets and action verbs while girls get butterflies and flowers, because apparently being female means you cannot enjoy being active or aspire to be a astronaut, and being male means you cannot enjoy nature or the colours pink or purple.
It's all really gross.
I don't think the marketing is that deep, honestly. I don't believe "they," whoever that may be, have an agenda to push. It's driven only by money. And it is very much true that most boys are drawn to trucks, etc., and most girls are drawn to rainbows, etc. It's not because the marketing machine tells them they should be; they just are. Businesses know that and capitalize on it, for the same reason they know that a younger person is more likely to buy new technology and older people aren't. Because that's the way it is. Marketers don't invent these things; they capitalize on them. Anyway, there's nothing to say that we can't buy the firetruck pajamas for our daughters or a cat toy for our sons. We get to choose where we spend our money, after all. 🙂
I would argue, though, that marketing is encouraging the divide. I know someone whose daughter used to enjoy playing with cars, and one day she said she couldn't because they were 'for boys' and that was what she had seen in stores. My friend wanted to buy a hat for her son and in the end could only find one she liked from the 'girls'' section (it was yellow with an ice cream on it). Why don't stores simply have 'children's toys' and 'children's clothes' rather than dividing them by stereotype? It's sad that it seems to have gone backwards, as discussed in this article here:
https://www.themarysue.com/girl-in-old-lego-ad/
I don't think people in marketing particularly care about boys and girls adhering to stereotype as a whole, but they definitely encourage it, and I see it as a negative thing.
I agree with Kristin. It’s not that deep. I usually shop with 4 kids in tow, very frustrating as it is. Imagine having to sort through racks of “children’s clothes” all mixed in together. As a mom with limited time to shop I appreciate everything being sorted by gender and color so I can walk in, easily find what I need and get out of there before the 4 of them make me lose my marbles. I’m thinking a lot of moms feel the same way.
They could still sort clothes by colour and age. I once knew someone who shared a room with her brother and for years they shared a wardrobe as well; their mother would buy clothes in neutral colours and they would mix and match. I also wore old clothes from male cousins as a kid. My uncle once bought my cousins gender-specific toys and they switched them - the boy wanted the doll and the girl wanted the truck!
I agree with Sophie on this one. Nothing inherent about being a 4 year old boy makes you like trucks more than butterflies and nothing more inherent to being a 5 year old girl makes you like pink over red. It’s all cultural driven by marketing (you need twice as many clothes/toys/shoes when your boy and girl can’t share).
-from a mom who’s boys grew up playing dolls, and girls grew up with monster trucks
I agree
Sophie in Denmark,
Well said! Thank you for your words of wisdom!
Thank you, and thanks to Katie as well!
In the wise words of Patti Smith: Gender. What a drag!
When my son was young I actively avoided clothes with the trucks and “boy stuff”. I just preferred to dress him in primary colors.
If I had a daughter I’m pretty certain I would have done the same.
Love Patti Smith, BTW ☺️
Well said, Sophie! Boys aren't born with a truck gene - society (and marketing!) has pushed that for years. My 12 year old daughter lives pastels and pinks but I'm very aware that for the most part that desire comes from feeling it's socially acceptable.
Vicki, yup. It's also telling that (up to a certain point) it's generally sociably acceptable for girls to be 'tomboys', but we don't have a term for boys who act more typically feminine. People don't think about girls wearing trousers or jeans (thanks to years of fighting for it), but if a boy wants to wear a skirt, people have a lot of questions. In the words of Ian McEwan: 'Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short and wear shirts and boots because it's okay to be a boy; for girls it's like promotion. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, according to you, because secretly you believe that being a girl is degrading.'
It's really sad that kids get shamed into gender expectations, rather than what they might want. I had a book as a kid called Bill's New Frock by Anne Fine, about a boy who wakes up as a girl, has to wear a dress to school (with no pockets!) and starts experiencing the different expectations put on girls. It really woke me up to everyday sexism!
Sophie, very well said. I would imagine that today's women astronauts might have loved playing with rocket ships as kids. Marketing drives so many of our preferences. Businesses make billions from doing that so we had better believe they think very deeply on how to advertise.
I generally ignored that stuff for my kids - I bought the rockets for my son AND my daughter. When they're young the sizes are the same, so I bought most of my kids clothes in the boys department.
Good for you to spend money on yourself! And I much prefer a large fire engine red toolbox with Snoopy, to a clutch sized purple one. Also beware beware pink tax!
Yesterday I on impulse bought tickets for a concert in December. I know it will be very popular so I feel relieved I will have the tickets already. Also, December is a more expensive month than May.
Very odd though that we feel the need to justify a purchase that we can afford, and that makes us very happy?
Is it weird that I usually don't feel that guilt/need to justify? I tend not to overthink purchases. I mainly feel bad if I've spent a lot of money on takeaway coffee or numerous lunches out, because I know that money would serve me better for other things.
I am glad for you that you don't, and aspire towards the same response as I think iy will give more joy 😀
Kristen, I love your new toolbox! I smiled at you getting joy out of it when you look at it/use it. Good for you!
I currently can't think of little treats that have brought me great pleasure, but I know that there are some. Maybe I'll chime in later...
Dashing off to work. Have a great day, Commentariat!
Most of the “fun money” I spend is on connecting with people. For instance, I meet my best friend for coffee every Saturday morning. I meet up with other friends for lunch or coffee semi regularly. I like to take friends out for their birthdays. I take one of my kids out for a treat and some one on one time every so often. I go on dates with my husband.
Lately we’ve been taking our kids roller skating. This isn’t super cheap, but it is something we all love to do and that we love to do together.
I truly enjoy all of these things. But when it comes to spending money JUST on myself? I can pretty much always find a reason not to do it. I’ll make a coffee at home. I’ll go to the library rather than the bookstore. I’ll take a walk instead of going to the mall (that’s an easy one, I seriously hate the mall.) My parents always got angry if I wanted anything, so I feel guilty if I want something. So my motivation might not be healthy, but I’m happy with these choices (coffee at home vs out, library vs bookstore, definitely walk vs mall)
In any case, you seem to be enjoying your life, so it seems like you’re doing it right!
You sound like me—the library over a bookstore, a walk instead of a mall, coffee at home instead of out, and guilt over wanting things!
I vastly prefer the library over a bookstore--especially nowadays, when bookstores seem to stock 50% books and 50% toys, apparel, and other things we don't need...but when I am short on time and I can't go to the library to get physical books, I will treat myself with an online book order, usually using my Amazon points.
I am probably too good at spending money on myself, although not compared to some of my friends!
This month's fun money has gone in Switzerland. Today I got a colander as it was fairly cheap and vastly superior to my plastic one; this one is metal and has a stand the bottom so I can put it in the sink! I also got some kitchen cloths with strawberries on them 🙂
Snoopy improves everything!
Harbor Freight has fun colors like purple and lime green in all of their toolboxes, even the monster sized, take up the entire wall, hold every tool, I could sleep in there sized models.
I, too, am horrible at spending money on myself! And my DH has no problem doing it for me!😂 Case in point, a tablet of my own. And then I had the fun of picking out the case I wanted.
But it is hard when you’ve come from a place of lack to a place of abundance (by comparison) to give yourself permission to “be a bit frivolous” with your hard earned dollars. I realized that I treated myself differently when I was traveling (a coffee shop-yes! a browse in a bookstore-sure! a magazine to read on the plane-why not?), it was a light bulb moment & a reckoning of the whys behind that behavior. It’s still a weakness & coffee shop stops or having lunch out with friends helps me remember to enjoy & be thankful for the small abundance that makes those things possible.
That’s good use of fun money!
I’m really bad at spending money (or baking!) for myself so a trick I’ve implemented since last year is: bake or buy something to share with a friend. That way the money or cake is not just for me, I don’t feel ‘guilty’ about spending money (or ingredients on a treat).
What a lovely idea! Spread the joy, spread the fun.
I am too good at treating myself. I need your diligence. A little yarn here, some fabric there, another diamond art painting....the list is endless.
Excellent toolbox! Who's to say red isn't a girl color? I think you're doing well spending your fun money. (I find it difficult to spend money on myself.) Sometimes life if just a bit too busy to take the moments required to step away from a packed schedule and do something that actually costs a bit of money rather than a free walk with homemade coffee and camera in hand. Nature watching is free and you've had a very busy winter! 🙂
Recently my husband suggested that we get Cirque de Soleil tickets which we did and greatly enjoyed the evening with friends who joined us. I'm still ignoring the actual price tag of the evening but it was a lot of fun. Otherwise I'm absolutely more likely to walk away from any wants and just buy the needs.
Excellent uses of your fun money! I have a little red toolbox even though my husband has a garage full of tools because that way what I need is right at hand.
A chunk of my fun money was spent Monday on a car wash, as the car badly needed cleaning and my arthritis was not up to me doing it. It was $18 and well worth it.
the monthly carwash is top on my list of self spending. I also spend essentially no money on myself but this brings me so much joy. My car is old (2009) with 240k+ miles, but keeping it clean has helped me to continue to love it. Nothing tops those carwash vacuums also!
Yes! And that's how you know it's a very worthwhile expenditure.
I recently spent some "fun money" buying two platters that match my discontinued dishes (one for everyday set and one for "nice" set), and 3 spoons that match my discontinued silverware. We had one platter but it broke. I could have bought any random one, but it makes me happy that they match the dishes I have. My husband and I have both gotten pleasure each time we used them. And with little kids somehow enough of our spoons had disappeared that it was causing frustration. Again, I could have bought different spoons, but it is satisfying to have ones that match. Plus with all of these, I was buying used from individuals. So I'm happy and they get a little money and the stuff is getting used by someone who really enjoys it!
I also bought my baby a new dress for her "school pictures". She has tons of hand-me-downs so I have bought her very few clothes thus far. But it was nice to get her something new all for her. (Or really for me because I'm the one that cares about her clothes)
We are using the silverware my parents had when they were married. There is a lot - more than the drawer can keep. So I put a lot of spoons and forks in a small box that I marked "inheritance" plus the make and type.
There aren't many spare knives, I suppose my mother threw out some when they became blunt? Still I also remember the knife sharpener coming round the houses for knives and shears to sharpen, when I was a child.
I'm not great at treating myself, but I'm OK with that. I have fun money each month, though my husband and I don't allot a big amount of money to that for ourselves. We're making sacrifices to spend our time and money in particular ways in this season (our children attend private school and I work part-time in a low- paying job that I enjoy and gives me the flexibility I want with my kids, plus allows me to spend more of my time in a volunteer role that uses my skills and I find very fulfilling.)
Most of my fun money purchases tend to be somewhat practical. Recently, I used an Aldi gift card from my birthday to purchase a hot/cold sheet that will keep food cold when we host outdoor parties. I'm excited to host and it made me happy to use it on Monday when we had friends over.
I love that you put Snoopy on your toolbox! That seems like a great way to make it fun.
The car wash is actually a frugal choice and could be a monthly expense rather than fun money? Won’t it preserve your car’s like-new condition for much longer?
Is travel a different budget category? Fun summer travel plans? Another trip to Hawaii?
I'm really good at treating others, and then I'm very good at using our "fun" money for traveling. Beyond that, I go in spurts where I don't spend fun money for months, and then I can burn through quite a bit at once. I think my next fun money splurge is going to be to sign up for a monthly massage "club" at the place near me. It really helps my back & is a pain relief vs some sort of fancy spa massage (I also love those). Getting the monthly pass cuts the cost quite a bit and will be a great reminder to treat myself regularly to this.
I would file these expenses as preventative maintenance, as you may prevent back pains!
Treats don’t have to cost money to feel “treatful” in my life. In fact, they feel best when they are free, because I have weird guilt about spending money on non-necessities, probably a residual of an extremely frugal childhood. (How many years of adulthood does it take to outweigh 18 years of childhood?)
I’m with you in viewing carwashes as fancy. The actual experience feels scary to me, all those loud things hammering the car!
The one I go to is actually touchless! Your car gets sprayed but never actually touched. 🙂 So you might like that kind.
Good for you for working on this. It really helps to get thru challenging times. Some luxuries are ones that trade money for time (such as buying new), which may be particularly helpful for you right now.
At this point I'm pretty good at treating myself. For example, I went on a small trip last week, using free park & museum entrance and hotel paid with points. I bought the good cheese and iberico ham (still probably cheaper than buying onsite) and bought enough local yarn to combine w other bits to make a sweater.
Love the Snoopy stickers and I see where you had a very furry little assistant helping you apply the foam lining. Or maybe Chiquita was the project supervisor? I think it's the latter, since she is a cat. Cats believe themselves superior to mere humans, so she was probably making sure you did it right! LOL.
I also have a car wash membership and I try to drive through every week, to make it worth the $ I paid. With my arthritis, it is painful to wash the car myself. Vacuuming it out isn't too much of a treat, either, but at least I get the outside done a lot. I maybe vacuum it once every 3 or 4 washes. The Genie carwash where you get out of your car (and they do it all, including the vacuuming) has closed, much to my dismay.
My fun money has been getting some new T-shirts. I ordered the Last Show with Stephen Colbert shirt, and the proceeds went to the World Hunger Kitchen, a very worthy cause where that chef feeds disaster victims. I got mine the Thursday afternoon of Colbert's last broadcast, so I was able to wear it and cry.....until they introduced Paul McCartney. (Sir Paul took some of the sting away. ) On his next-to-last program, Colbert announced they'd raised millions of dollars for the feeding program via the sale of shirts and other Late Show items.
I also got a shirt that parodies Gilligan's Island, "advertising" a 3 hour tour aboard the SS Minnow, and another shirt saying I'm cranky because I'm in my 70s. (So true. Esp. when they take my favorite talk show off the air.)
Since the presidential campaign, I've bought a few other T-shirts touting my political beliefs. This is extremely rare, me buying new T-shirts, because I usually get used ones at the thrift store for under $5. But ya gotta have fun some of the time, right?
I do struggle to treat myself. But I have gotten into a new habit of one pedicure a month, right after my pension check drops. We also enjoy a Tuesday movie special once or twice a month when our schedule allows.
I was raised extremely frugally and I can still remember having to choose whether or not to spend my 25 cents weekly allowance on daily 5 cents ice cream or save 10 cents so I could see a magic show that came to school! When I started college I got a raise to $5 a week and I didn't have a clue how to spend it! I made sure my daughters were well schooled in monetary matters. At any rate, her frugality paid for 4 years in assisted living and nursing home (Alzheimers) over a quarter of a million dollars.
We were grateful that she could get very good care when she needed it.
Mom, I love and miss you.
Oooooo, fancy pastries! That is such a wonderfully delicious use of fun money!
I love treating myself to Starbucks once a week when I go into the office and buying books at independent book stores. I'm a huge fan of the library, free little libraries, Goodwill, and discounted e-books but there is something special about supporting a small business and walking away with a book I am going to enjoy.
I'm team "car washes are fancy". They're expensive too, so definitely feels like a luxury even if essential sometimes. Im curious, is all your recreation, meals out, take oit part of fun money or a different category? I'm just curious as I'm playing around with my own budget and deciding what are splurges and what's just part of life.
Love your Snoopy toolbox. In my quilting group, those pink and green tool boxes are very popular for holding accessories, tools and notions.
I am downright horrible at spending fun money. I use it to go estate sale & tag sale shopping. I used a month plus a week's worth at the beginning of the month to celebrate mom's birthday. I hosted the dinner for 7 at a favorite local restaurant.
When I was very young, just out of college, I would put money aside for vacations. My husband and I never went on vacation as we were running two companies and a growing ranch and if I couldn't take the kids...So after a few years I took the money and invested it. It is that one stock purchase that allowed me to pay off the farm mortgage, build a medical suite onto our home and retire. Crazy. I got lucky, but I think it is better to treat ourselves if we need it. I always joke that I was too happy to notice I was busy. It is so true that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.
I have no problems with treating myself ! I work a stressful job so on my days off I have been buying the latte and taking nice long walks. It is so stress relieving !
So fun! I love hearing about how you are spending some of these set-aside funds on yourself, however you like. That was such a great idea to get a new little toolbox with some of the money! Those are truly so handy to have around and satisfying to immediately know where your gear is when you need it. It's reminding me that I want to upsize our little kitchen mini toolbox - it's just an old clear plastic bin with a built in lid but the latch has broken and it's a little too full so a slightly larger bin would work much better. Gonna see what I can figure out for that!
I believe in treating myself and do it often. But, I would have trouble spending $100 a month on fun things. Perhaps, it's your amount not your process?
heck yeah. when i was young and working i had manicures once a week. i also bought clothes. and had my hair done every 3 months. now i sitll have my hair done but don't buy too many clothes especially since chicos got rid of free shipping. am glad you are treating yourself. chiquita is too. and your brand new car is thrilled. keep up the good work. the tool box is FAB.
I am, with much practice, now good at fun money. I splurge on a monthly reflexology session and I have a £40/month book budget. My five year old gets some control over his monthly £15 toy budget (in the sense that I will curate some options that are within budget and let him choose between them), because I think it’s important to build this muscle early.
As for tools, both my sisters have floral tools in neon pink, not because either of them are girly girls who like pretty tools but because their tradesman husbands are too embarrassed to carry a neon pink floral hammer on a building site and so they are never tempted to “borrow” a tool and there is always a complete set of tools at home. My tools, as a single woman with no men in sight (tradies or otherwise), are builder-grey and yellow…
That's so funny about the tools! My mother in law bought me a basic set of tools with pink handles so her son wouldn't mess with them! LOL!
You almost have enough "fun money" for another trip someplace in driving distance to stay over night or over a few days. That would be a good way to spend it.
We are on the other side of the country--Santa Rosa, California--but if you ever get near here (1 hour's drive north of San Francisco) we are home to the Snoopy Museum and Snoopy's Ice Arena. Maybe a good half way place to meet with your daughter who lives in Hawaii . . .
Charles Schulz lived and worked here the last 42 years of his life. He had a reserved table at the "Warm Puppy Cafe" at the ice rink and had lunch there every day, so people could come up and say hello. The community was treated to Christmas ice shows with Peanuts characters and Olympic ice skaters every year for many years. His office is preserved next door to the Ice Arena. And every fourth grader in Santa Rosa gets free ice skating lessons there as part of school PE. The museum has many Peanuts artifacts including the actual nursery wall Charles Shulz painted with whimsical animals and Peanuts figures for his daughter when she was a baby. And, of course, a shop to buy tons of Peanuts memorabilia.
It's a fun place to put on your bucket list--plus our area is beautiful and a lovely place to visit--between mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
I had no idea that Charles Schulz was from Santa Rosa! For some reason, I put him in San Diego. Now that I think of it, that was Dr. Suess. Glad to know that things in Santa Rosa are thriving after your unthinkably horrible fire a few years ago.
I'm really bad at spending money on myself, months can go by without me remembering that it should now be part of my ambition. But today I bought a cup of coffee at a local Cafe...it cost the equivalent of 3 USD 😉
I am decidedly NOT good at treating myself!
When I do, though, my treats tend to be solo lunches out (typically at ethnic restaurants- I dislike most chains) or a trip to the thrift store to buy someting I find on my running “I need to look for this” list.
What about rolling some of the fun money into your mini-break fund. Add in the AIRBB gift card and you could get away for 2 nights! 🙂
That’s one of my favorite ways to spend money on myself-travel!
Hubby and I did a trip to the west coast of Florida earlier this month. It was wonderful to go without worrying about money but some frugal habits are hard to break. Stop at the grocery store to get yogurt, snacks, soda and water. We ate one main meal a day. We explored Sanibel and Captiva Islands and went shelling. We were able to treat my cousins and their spouses to a big fat fancy meal at our hotel in Naples. Did we even leave the property? Two pools and the Gulf of Mexico right there. Lots of time being lazy in water. Present me thanked past me for being so frugal and saving so much for retirement so we can do these things. Brought home seashells and hubby bought me a beautiful sterling silver seashell bracelet.
This is so relateable! I sometimes struggle to spend money on myself, even if it isn't particularly "fun" (like shopping to replace worn out clothes) and I think earmarking a reasonable amount is a great approach! Thanks for sharing your fun money spends with us 🙂
I love your toolbox and your Snoopy stickers! I also love the fact that Chiquita supervised!
I feel like giving you a spending challenge! Go on The Real Real and buy a gently used purse that costs more than $300. I dare you!
I bought myself a banjo - a cheap banjo (less than $200 new), but that's what I wanted. I wanted to try it out to see whether I'd enjoy playing it, and I DO! Something totally new, totally frivolous, and totally FUN. I'm learning online, and I'm learning a LOT.
I also JUST passed my ham radio test and received my call sign. I spent $20 on a book to study, $14 for the test and $35 for the license, so $69 total. Again, something totally new and sorry if frivolous. Well, I also bought a pair of handheld radios for $30, so actually $99 total - LOL!
I'm learning new things (growing new neuron pathways!) and just having fun! Totally worth it!
Suggestions for things to buy (I bought these a while back and enjoy them a lot): 1) Aura digital frame "Walden" model, and 2) Bose Bluetooth portable speaker.
I've read your blog for years and enjoy it!
I love tools! I believe Lowes or home Depot now has larger boxes in other colors that are more fun- blue, lime green, etc... We found a grey one on a deal that is in the kitchen. Makes a great spot for utensils, pans, containers. When we got actual kitchen cabinets the husband wanted to move it to the garage. Hahaha, nope that is mine sweetie!