Is it an addiction if I skip a week?

Wednesday passed by and I still not go to the comic book shop. It's Thursday night and I am beginning to shake. Last year I was there religiously, once a week, every Wednesday, even on the days where the comics were shipped a day later due to holidays. Of course that is because I forgot that they ship a day later. (I really dislike remembering things.) I noticed there was only going to be two comic books I collect being released this week and it is a pretty far drive. I wanted to go but with gas constantly rising it made my hesitant.

I could use this as an excuse to purchase more graded books on E-Bay and HA but I wouldn't be able to read those and I am trading gas money for shipping costs. Money is getting tighter all over and now CGC is having a sale on their memberships...what do I do? Do I cut down on my coffee intake, do I drive to the comic shop I frequent once every two weeks, or do I go that one step further and start frequenting the comic shop a little closer and walk there. If I were to do these things i can send my own books in to get slabbed.

I used to put everything on a credit card and pay off what I could. I no longer have that option, everything has to be cash or go through my check card. I purchase my E-bay items like this and other things I feel I need. I work as a waiter in a diner and am fortunate to work six days out of the week. When I work I get to eat. This allows me to purchase less food for home. This is great when I see something I must have, more times then not it has something to do with comic books.

However a few expenses are coming up and one major one is my car expense. Sure gas is going up in Philadelphia, but where isn't it. This expense is upkeep. I budget everything, gas, health care, rent, and well what most people have to pay for. Recently I bought tickets for a show, purchased a brand new wiper motor ( I really wanted one of those) and am trying to save for the Wizard World convention coming in June. Some were unavoidable, others are just something to enjoy with life.

I am good at it, good at saving for what I want...including the 6 CGC New Mutants books I have on the way. I can't wait to get them and want to buy more so maybe going to the comic shop twice a month will save enough on gas that I can put extra money aside. I'm not stressing about my bills, I still have a rain day plan but the way I am buying slabbed comics, who knows.

One of the ideas going through my head is try to sell some stuff on E-bay. I am frightened of this because it's new but if I can take the money I make and put it aside for something I really want I can get rid of clutter and get something I really really want. Dare I sell even the slabbed comic books I bought for no other reason then just to have it?

I guess what I want to know is with the price of unslabbed comic books going up along with gas and every other thing except my salary and tips I wonder what is going to break me first, the cost of a comic book or the cost of a slabbed comic book.

Thanks for reading

Tnerb