Getting Stuck With Packing Tape

I have a new client who is in a business where he receives and sends out many packages. Our first appointment centered around getting his supplies centralized and figuring out how to store all of his necessary shipping materials. We were both laughing after awhile because by the time we had all of the supplies corraled from underneath piles, in other rooms and other places in his office, he must have had 50 rolls of packing tape!

I learned a big lesson that had me thinking of him, one I thought I already knew in the UPS store last week....the value of my time. As I lugged a way too heavy defective garbage disposal into the UPS store to be shipped back, shipping paid for by the disposal company, I was shocked to find out that it would cost me $15.00 for the box, stuffing and service to prepare the box. I struggled with the decision to pay the $15.00 or just buy the box for $5.00 and slap the label on the box myself. I opted to save the $10.00 and I lugged the box and disposal out feeling I had saved some money. Low and behold, after coming home, I came to discover I had no packing tape, to prepare the box and no time to run to the office supply store. And so it sat in my office and then living room for a week.

Of course, I now have stocked up on packing tape, and I will share with my client how he never would find himself in my predicament. I also relearned the lesson of how valuable my time is and that sometimes it does make sense to just pay a little extra to get the job done!