Admit it... are you spending money?

We're supposed to be stuffing $100 bills in our mattresses and stocking up on cans of beans and evaporated milk (or was it red wine?) to be stored in the basement, but my husband and I are spending money. Not a lot, mind you—I'm not that brave. I spent this past weekend ripping up the floor in my bathroom and dismantling a vanity that's likely older than my dad. And here's the thing: When I visited my local hardware store/lumberyard to buy my replacement materials and then the big boxes for the rest of my list, they weren't ghost towns. They were surprisingly busy!

Maybe I'm a poster child for moderation. I'm doing the work myself and I'm not buying exotic materials to impress my neighbors. But I'm investing in my house because it seems a reasonable thing to do. I didn't have to spend the money right now, but I did. There—I confessed.

Your turn. Think back in the last six months or so. Have you made a purchase that could have been postponed until we're "safe" again? What did you buy? A car? An appliance? Did you make improvements to your home? This industry may not be representative of the American public in general, but we just might represent the customers you're trying to target to buy windows and doors. So I want to know, are you spending money? Email me and tell me what you're buying.

In this period of economic recession, my discretionary purchases have been: Non-existent Occasional, for great deals Unchanged from pre-recession levels More frequent, there are deals to be had If poll form doesn't work in your email, Click Here.

Contact Christina Lewellen, senior editor, at clewellen@glass.org.