My Family's 'Consideration Budget'—Sometimes Appreciated, Sometimes Missing the Mark

For the fathers who want to save money but also want to cherish their family's smiles, and who struggle with that conflict.
I have taken to calling the moments when I loosen my purse strings a bit too much my 'consideration budget'.

Today, I ended up buying an extra cake that my wife hadn't even asked for.

Come to think of it, it has been like this ever since my daughter was little.
Tuna, salmon roe, sea urchin, Shine Muscat grapes, strawberries that catch my eye at the supermarket... If I find something they might like, I find myself putting it in the basket before I know it.

For my wife, who is on a low-carb diet, I buy cut melon or salad bar items even when she hasn't asked for them. When I go on a trip, I end up getting unusual snacks or sweets, thinking, 'I'm sure she'll be happy with this.'

Of course, sometimes they are happy. But often, I get a lukewarm reaction, like 'I don't need this...' or 'Why did you buy something so expensive?'
My batting average might be less than .200.
Even though I intend it as 'consideration,' the result often misses the mark—that happens quite frequently.

Now that I am a senior, I don't exactly have money to burn.
So, even though I am conscious of 'not buying unnecessary things,' I still find myself reaching out, thinking, 'Maybe this will make them smile.'
And when I get home, my wife scolds me, saying, 'You bought unnecessary things again...'

As I pack the cake into the shopping bag, the memory of my daughter's childhood smile suddenly comes back to me.
Perhaps I am still chasing that smile from back then somewhere.
My daughter has grown up, but am I the only one left behind in that time?

It's not exactly luxury. But it's not exactly saving money either. I call these small hesitations my 'consideration budget,' and today, I open my wallet once again.

To all the fathers out there—how do you use your 'consideration budget'?

Now that conversations with family have decreased, perhaps there is a kind of 'consideration' that can only be conveyed through shopping. I send my cheers to all the fathers who are doing their best, even while missing the mark just like me.

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I plan to post articles about cheerful topics and travel soon.
Please look forward to those as well!

I have also published several other articles that draw on my experience as a senior
(some are paid content).