Today’s society is drastically different than those of our parents and grandparents who were raised in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. There is a HUGE difference between the “Have’s” and “Have Not’s” as social status is separated by anything that starts with an “i,” to computers, cell phones, technology, and jobs.
However, many of my close friends and family know that my grandfather served as a local coroner for over 20+ years. It was during this time that I was exposed to death at a very young age. Rarely did we get to sit through a meal without a phone call that my pap had to leave for a death. This was a normal part of our family, but is certainly not the norm in today’s society. I have learned from a young age that life is short. I think life is short, whether you pass away at 8 or 80. Time is only a perception in this life, and we OFTEN forget that this ride is not as long as we think, and we have to value each day.
Because of how I was raised I try not get caught up in who has what or whether or not I have the latest house, phone, car, clothes, or technology. I try to remember everyday that my family and relationships are the most important things in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I celebrate with my friends when they are blessed with something new, and I get SO excited for them! I love my family and friends and want to see them blessed with new things. Also, I write these posts every so often as a reminder to myself of why I love to save!
However, I meet MANY, MANY people that seem very insecure, and almost seem to have a need to brag about what they have or own. It drives me nuts, and I’m constantly left with a feeling that there are very few people who truly “get” what life is all about. Do you know someone like this? It makes it hard to be friends with them! It also limits who I consider as a “friend.” If you find that each conversation with your friends centers around material objects, it might be time to evaluate your friendships.
Don’t misunderstand, I think we all like to have new things, but the quest for new shouldn’t consume our lives OR our CONVERSATION. Thus, I’m so grateful for what I have, and even if I had less, I’d be grateful. I feel God has given me SO many blessings, and my closest friends know how excited I am for them when they get something new!
Also, those readers who have been with me for a long time know that I drive a 12-year-old van. It has become my daily reminder to strive for contentedness. There are definitely times when I think, “I only 35, and my car makes me feel like I’m way older!” LOL However, if we are going to press on to become debt free, I’m going to have to keep my van!
I think there are also times where if I went out and bought something new, I’d miss out on God’s blessing. Last year our washing maching LITERALLY sounded like a rocket going to the moon. We had a repair man tell us that the only option was to let it die and then junk it. We were starting to pray about adopting again at that point, and so we prayed for God to show us when/how to get a new washer. Within a week, a neighbor of my mother’s told us (literally out of the blue) that he managed several rental properties, and that one of their tenants was evicted and never came back to claim a brand new Samsung front-loading washer. He hated to throw it in the dumpster, but he had a new washer and didn’t need it. He wanted to know if we knew of anyone who could use it. YOU BET WE DID! LOL
If we had gone out and bought that washer on credit, we would have missed a HUGE blessing!
Because we promote deals, coupons, and freebies on this site, we still want to see our readers blessed with savings! However, we never promote savings as a means of hoarding or losing sight of the best priorities in life. We advocate for giving away surplus to the needy, or letting family come in and use your stockpile. I know so many of our readers already do this, but I think we all (myself included in that) need a reminder from time to time about what’s truly important! I’m writing this more for myself than anyone! We want you to have a GREAT week, and be blessed with a TON of savings!!!
~Steph
I grew up very poor. My mom worked 4 jobs, from delivering newspapers at night to delivering pizzas while we were at school. I learned at such a young age, that things aren’t what’s important. My hubby was raised in a family with money. It is hard at times to explain to him that money and things aren’t what make me happy. I’m happy when my son can pick up a box and play with it vs picking up a PS3 controller (yeah even at 18 months he has gotten mad at me for taking the controller from him).
I am happy with my 1992 Chevy Blazer that has 283,xxx miles on it.
I am happy with what I have and what we have earned.