How I got my marriage out of the toilet and saved $600
I was taking my rings off to wash my face last night when my gold wedding band bounced off the tile counter, plopped into the toilet and sunk out of sight. GASP!
I paused for a second - luckily Hubby had cleaned the toilet bowl a day ago - before sticking my finger into the trenches. Ewwww. I could feel the ring at the bottom of the bowl in the tiny space where water rushes in to flush waste. But each attempt pushed it farther back into the hole. Hubby tried a few times with similar results.
Plan B: Hubby bent a pipe cleaner into a hook and tried luring the ring out. The hole was too small and the risk too great. Without being able to feel where the ring was it would be easy to accidentally push it into oblivion.
Plan C: Call a plumber. At 10:30 on a Sunday night Hubby got somebody on the phone. It would be $150 for a guy to show up that night or $60 Monday morning. Plus whatever the job fee was. How much was the job fee? The operator conveniently did not have the "job book" in front of him to refer to. Riiiiiight. Was I so cheap that I would risk losing my sentimental $500 wedding band to avoid a $250 plumber bill? Yes. Even though the price of gold has gone up so much that replacing the ring would probably cost $600? Still yes.
Plan D: Sleep on it.
Plan E: Pee in the shower.
Plan F: Use a suction device to suck the ring back into the tiny space where Hubby's fingers could grab it. Not strong enough.
Plan G: Use the neighbor's toilet.
Plan H: Try my luck with the pipe cleaner again. I had already dropped my ring into the toilet. Did I want to be responsible for losing it forever to the department of water and power?
Plan I: Flush the toilet with half a tank of water to create a gentle flow to push the ring out while blocking the drain with a sponge. The sponge blocked so much water there was no flow, so we tried it again with a full tank. Nothing.
Plan J: Block the drain with fingers to allow greater water flow and flush with full force. Grab ring after it bounces into my hand!!!
"I got it! I got my ring!" I yelled to Hubby, who was fetching his tool bag. He ran into the bathroom, dropped his tool bag, and gave me a hug. All at once my regret for not putting down the toilet seat, my anger at being clumsy, and my sadness about almost losing a little piece of gold that was the only thing of mine that matches something of Hubby's (I'm opposed to identical clothing) spilled into tears on Hubby's shoulder. 
I felt terrible that I had almost lost something that was so important. Especially because right now many of my friends and family members are getting divorced, contemplating breaking up, or struggling with their relationships. If losing my ring was a sign that we too, had problems, working together to get it back was a sign that Hubby and I were still going strong.
I put the wet, dirty ring on my finger. It was shiny and etched with a dozen tiny dents from wear and tear over the past five years of marriage. I had my ring and I saved $600.
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About The Bargain Hunter
Daily News staff writer Julia Scott loves to find bargains on everything from groceries to Gucci. Her tips will help keep your hard earned cash where it belongs - in your pocket.
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Good Save....Very Nice BH!
Such a good story. Hubby sound like a keeper, not only in this story but in all the others where you write about him. How re-flushing, I mean refreshing. Glad you were able to hold onto your piece of history. My mom gave me a piece of advice many, many years ago when I first got engaged and I loved that tiny diamond. She advised when I washed my hands to put ring in mouth, usually I put foot in mouth... but mouth is also good for holding rings.
This happened to me too, though it was the kitchen sink rather than the toilet. We ended up calling over a neighbor who had all the right plumbing tools to retrive it. Not only did he rescue my ring--my diamond engagement ring--but found a few other weird items in the trap, including a swizzle stick left there by the previous owners! I'm telling you hearing the clink of it dropping down the pipe is something I never hope to hear again. It totally freaked me out. Glad you got your ring back.
You are a smart cookie; I would've never known how to retrieve the ring! Happy Days are here again for you!!
Julia, history repeats itself. Many, many years ago your grandmother Evelyn lost her rings while working in the kitchen, and your grandfather sifted through all the garbage until he found them.
Dad
So whats stopping you from buying a gift or taking your loved one out to dinner more often? Surely not the price. Theres loads of discount coupons on the net for all the major retail stores and restaurants.
Sometimes you can say it all with flowers, actions speak louder than words.
Which is better. A constant showering of gifts to say sorry, or someone that's dependable and stable?
Gift cards can come preloaded or you can load them yourself. Many businesses carry a variety of preloaded cards in common denominations. Others let customers put however much they want on a blank card.
Empathy is the ability to identify or sense what another person is feeling. It is like seeing through someone else’ s eyes. Empathy should not be confused with compassion, which is the desire to alleviate the suffering of another, and sometimes contains empathy, but really goes beyond it. You can act compassionately even when you do not empathize with a person’ s emotional state or situation.
Although the diamond engagement ring didn't become popular until the late 19th century, there are still plenty of antique diamond engagement rings on the market these days.
A new common trend is for couples to exchange matching promise rings. These make for a fashionable and romantic gesture.