Last month I spent four hours looking for the perfect birthday gift for my daughter’s friend, a Korean American girl, who was turning 2. I researched all kinds of toys, books, and T-shirts, trying to find something that the child would love. An Asian baby doll was a possibility, but I hadn’t seen any in our local stores. When I finally found “Yang,” I thought I was set. Then I saw that she was $32, over the $25 price ceiling the invitees had been asked to observe. Plus, the optional mealtime set (bottles, bib, tiny spoons) seemed essential at $22. I was up to $54.
But after you’ve labored in the world of billable hours, you start to do those lawyer calculations. How much is my time worth? Should I spend another hour to save $30? I’ve already done the research and found the ideal present. I bought the doll and the feeding set.
