7:15 p.m. — Tonight my partner and I are getting a Christmas tree! We go to a women-owned nursery that has sustainably-grown local trees. We look around for a little bit and decide on a smaller natural fir for $56 and a cheap stand. When the cashier sees the height of our tree, she recommends getting a bigger, more expensive stand. This trip is already feeling costly and I'm ready to just jerry-rig the tree with the cheaper stand, when she says: "As a single gal, I like the bigger stand because I can set the tree up myself with it." While I'm not a single gal, I resonate strongly with this pitch and grab the bigger stand. I sold Christmas trees for a season, and I know how hard the work can be, especially in the cold. I pay for the tree in full and my partner Venmos me for half. We tip the woman who helped us attach it to our car $5 on the way out. $43