backyard playsetsIt's that point of year again: playset season. The time when millions of parents prepare yourself to pay out thousands for small-scale backyard jungle gyms because of their beloved children.For a long time I'd were able to effectively avert this requirement of suburban family life. And then, 1 day something happened.I cracked.I cannot even blame my kids. They never badgered me or complained. I'm not sure they needed a playset. No. I needed one.If we were outdoors in the back garden my kids wandered around aimlessly, invariably going back inside to the sofa. I wanted to shoo them back again outside and shout, "Go play!" But using what? We didn't have a pool or swings or perhaps a paved driveway to pull on. I chosen for my very own sanity and their survival we needed a playset.Visions of summer season times whiled away on the swingset or in the attached fort with children's laughter floating by over a balmy air flow, danced in my head. But I wanted one thing to be perfectly clear. EASILY would take out a second mortgage to fund a playset, my kids were heading to have to go on it--literally.The playset we eyed-up possessed a house-like enclosure and a picnic desk and was nearly as big as my house. It had been certainly a suitable dwelling for two smallish people. They could come inside for the wintertime however, not until then. And if we ran some electric wiring and plumbing related to the fort, I might never have to see them again.But much like most fantasies, once recognized, the facts on the floor don't quite match the perspective, and so it was with the playset.My research on playsets commenced well before spring and coil because I thought if we bought in the off-season, we would be capable of geting an acceptable price. I had been mistaken. There are no fair prices when it comes to playsets. I have no idea if the hardware is stable yellow metal or if the structure is constructed of rare, endangered wood, but bargains are not to be had. So I considered a choice a friend advised: used playsets. One could get a whole playset for 50 % the price. That possessed my name written around it.Unfortunately, it did not have my husband's name written on it. He was against the complete playset idea from the beginning--it would ruin his turf. If, however, I was going to insist he recognize he has children and they require playthings, then he established he would desire a deluxe model worth being placed atop his pristine yard.Still, I prolonged in my search for pre-owned models, persuaded I could satisfy us both. And I was successful in finding a used playset in relatively good condition large enough for just two school-age kids. It even acquired a rock wall structure. But the best part was it only cost in regards to a thousand bucks. Win was mine.Then my husband pointed out the playset was anywhere outside the tri-state area, and we didn't have a car large enough to transport it even if we do want to take the half-day drive to go obtain it. I nodded silently. I understood. And with a heavy heart, I gave up on my used playset search.For people who have never had the knowledge of searching for a playset, it's a significant daunting task. There are several makes and models and levels and configurations to choose from, and everything the actual playthings are extra. I suppose you may buy a fairly cheap wooden framework, but all your children can do is stare at it wistfully because it would be nothing more than an large sawhorse.I continued to shop around online for weeks until the day finally came up when I noticed my dream swing action set. It possessed everything I'd imagined. The one problem was I couldn't find the money for it. During the period of the next weeks, I went to the playset many times, hoping to happen upon a deal. Then, mid-summer, it finally happened. The company got what constituted a storewide sales in playset circles: free gangplank weekend. I got sold.Free gangplank weekend was an enormous coup for me personally, and I breathed a sigh of comfort that the hunting and agonizing and planning was over. Then the sales guy strike me with the costs. Just under $2,000. And it was FREE gangplank weekend!The playset has been bought and payed for, supplied and erected inside our yard for nearly each year, but it was not played with much. Or possibly I will say it was not played with around $2,000 would warrant. We haven't made our cash back on it yet, but a few items have been worthy of their price. The swings and trapeze club. That's really all you need. Take it from someone whose been burned up.The kids still wander aimlessly about the yard, ignoring the one component, the priciest one, that they lobbied so vehemently, the fort. It rests empty except for the parrots and the squirrels. But maybe if we installed a Television in there...