So I am really REALLY good at returning things

My hairbrush broke a couple of days ago. Nothing MAJOR or anything, it's not like it got snarled in a tangle and exploded all over the bathroom, but a big chunk of bristles fell out all at once and while it's still technically USABLE, I technically DON'T WANT TO USE IT. We'd had six or seven good years together (I have no idea if that's bad or good in Hygiene Land) so I threw it in the trash right then and there, without a thought as to what I would replace it with. And then eventually I made it to Target where I picked myself out a new one.

AND YOU GUYS. I brought it home and spied the old one in the trash and got a little curious and then... WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW.

All I did was buy the same hairbrush, albeit the Updated Version with the cushier handle and the edgier color combination. THE SAME HAIRBRUSH. And it wasn't like there were only two to choose from; there was an entire WALL of hairbrushes! Different brands! Different styles! And AND it isn't like I showed up with notes on the old one, either – I wasn't trying to REPLACE my hairbrush as much as I was just looking to buy something to brush my hair with. Do you think that's weird? I think that's kind of weird. No, I'm SURE that's kind of weird.

Maybe you can tell that hairbrushes aren't an area where I like to spend much money? Apparently the $4.47 hairbrush is working just fine. You can take your boar's hair or your ceramic and stuff it, because Conair is making it HAPPEN up in this joint. Truth be told, I rarely go out on a limb and purchase something I haven't tried before (even subconsciously, I guess) unless we're talking about an investment well under $10. I don't know what it is – it's not like Dave and I are paupers who can't find our way back after a misguided $50 purchase, but I feel like it is so important lately to be responsible with what I buy, and I really don't like how it feels when I buy something, hate it, and then hate LOOKING at it in the bathroom, where it's sitting because I'm not using it.

Which reminds me that I actually made Dave return a toddler bed I bought off Craigslist last weekend. I mean, honestly, it had to be done, and it's a long story but basically I got the offending item home and THEN realized what a load of crap I'd just bought (the LEGS fell off of it as I carried it up the stairs) and then Dave was trying to fix it and I KNOW that in his head he was thinking the same thing as me, which was LOAD OF CRAP but you know, CRAIGSLIST, you guys, it's not like this is a situation where you commonly RETURN THINGS, especially LARGE PIECES OF FURNITURE. Plus he didn't want me to feel bad about making such a glaringly obvious mistake. Wait, not even “mistake,” just POOR CHOICE.

But I couldn't KEEP IT, not with my current all-things-money convictions (and also the burning shame of having brought it home in the first place), so I convinced him to take it back (the ad had said Excellent Condition) (LIES!) and he DID, and explained how we didn't think it was safe or would hold up under the combined weight of our children (YES IT WAS THAT BAD) and they were perfectly nice about it (MIRACLE) and happily gave Dave our money back. And then we found out that this particular couple accepts donations and then sells them on Craigslist to fund their – are you ready for it? - CAT FOUNDATION. Which, honestly, I'm all for cats! I am! But that detail just made the whole thing even more ridiculous, which is kind of hard, because I talked my husband into returning a piece of furniture, you guys. A piece of furniture which had already been lugged upstairs, which had to then be lugged back DOWNstairs and yeah, the whole thing was pretty much ridiculous and shameful (on my part) and yeah. CAT FOUNDATION.

As you may imagine, I am currently banned from buying anything off Craigslist for the foreseeable future. (CAT FOUNDATION.)

Comments

[Hillary]

God, I love people.

Also, when I had long hair, that's the exact brush I always bought.

[Kristin Hardwick]

this made me happy for two reasons. 1)I also own that hairbrush and wth, why aren't we branching out to try different ones? 2)I have only recently been brave enough to buy things off craigslist (twice) and they've been successful, but I'm totally waiting for your situation to become my situation.

Cat foundation?

[Ms. Amy]

First, you should check out Pancakes & French Fries William Morris Project. It's all about having things in your house which are USEFUL and BEAUTIFUL. I am all up on it. And second, I bow down to you for both convincing your husband to return that POS bed, and second that they DID IT. Because you know: CAT FOUNDATION. ?

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I totally did the same thing with the hairbrush. I've had the same one since HIGH SCHOOL and finally the part with the bristles just pulled out of the handle too many times, so I went to replace it. And came home with the SAME THING. Which is still sitting in its packaging, because apparently I can't give up my long-term relationship with Original Hairbrush.

Also, I love cats. LOOOOOOVE. But... Cat Foundation?

[Erin]

I really thought you were going to say that you packaged the old broken brush up in the new brush's packaging and returned it to the store under the guise of it being the new one that had broken. And I was going to be impressed that they took it back. (I've done that before -- packaged something in the replacement item's packaging to return -- but only if the broken item was barely used and I just didn't think they'd let me return it without the box. I wouldn't try to return a 7-year-old brush, and I'm glad you didn't either!)

(I also learned that Target -- at least the one one 28 by Wegman's, since I know you're local to me and will know what that means -- will let you return something without the packaging. They'll just pull a new one of the shelf to scan and find the purchase by swiping your card or checking the receipt, and they'll refund your card. I heart Target.)

[kim]

Glad you were able to find the same brush, even if you did not mean too. I have went to the store to find the exact same brush, because I lost it, and could not find it.

I am not sure my hubby would have returned the bed. What the heck is a cat foundation?!!

[Megan]

What is this Target with a fairly lax policy of which you speak?!? Out here, they won't let you return an item if you've so much as breathed on it, let alone opened it.

[Leighann]

The last brush I bought was from the dollar store. Seriously. It's working great. Actually I bought two - one for each girl. And hello? Never heard of returning Craigslist items. Love it. And love that they didn't give Dave the finger and say 'tough loss'.

[Jen]

I'm with Erin - I totally thought you were going to say that you returned the used hairbrush! You know there are people who do that.