Man, that guilt makes total sense, you basically put it in a coma and it woke up ready to party. The wild part is those old batteries were built to sit, so it might outlast anything you buy today if you just keep using it.

I did the walkup thing for three years and the savings were real but so was the dread every time I came home with groceries. That $300 a month only feels worth it if you're actually banking it, so if the $7,200 is sitting in savings and not getting eaten by life stuff, tough it out one more year then move.

Did you ever buy something just because a friend wouldn't shut up about it? My old roommate did that with those frozen pepper and onion mixes and she swore they were the same as chopping your own. I tried them for fajitas one night and the peppers were basically mush, all watery and sad in the pan. The weird part is she grew up with a garden and still thought that bag was fine, which blew my mind. I get it when you're broke and just need calories, frozen works, but something about fresh veg hitting a hot pan is a whole different meal. Now I only keep frozen peas and corn around, the rest I grab cheap from the stalls when it's in season.