April 28, 2020
I think that one of the most important lessons that parents must teach their children is the difference between a need and a want. That’s a lot easier to do when you live on a tight budget. In fact, the more kids you have and the less money you have, that lesson kind of teaches itself. I have been so blessed to be a teacher, for so many reasons. And without a doubt, the biggest perk of the job was being home with my children every summer. (Summer is what being a kid is all about.) But on a “teacher budget”, creativity regarding entertainment is a must. At the beginning of June each year we would make a list of all the things we could do and places we could go, on our big break. The list had one stipulation. The activity had to be cheap, or even better, free! The (places to go) list included things like take a picnic to the park, explore antique stores, swim at Aunt Jamie’s, spend the night at Aunt Charla’s, go to the library and (the weirdest one) walk around Walgreens. Notice you do not see the word “shop” anywhere on that list. The whole idea was to be entertained without spending money. The Walgreens trips went something like this: “Ok, we are going in but we are only looking. No buying, just looking. We are not spending any money. Now, let’s have fun!” To be honest I said this about most stores. Believe it or not my kids still talk about those outings, and not in a bitter or negative way. We did have fun and (bless their little hearts) they very rarely complained about not buying anything. They are old enough now to appreciate that I was just doing what I had to do. The fun was in spending time together, not in spending money. And I have five amazing, frugal daughters that can not only make a budget, they can live on one. In fact, we did get to go to Disney World one summer as a family because one daughter lived at home after college, saved her money and paid for our surprise trip. That trip is a cherished family memory! I’m not criticizing anyone for doing anything differently when it comes to raising kids. We just had to make it work for our situation. And everyone learns life lessons in different ways at different times. We all make sacrifices and do without but how do we feel about that? How do we act? Are we happy to do it or do we grumble and complain and say “Poor me!” or “I never get what I want!” (Waa, waa! Somebody call the “Waambulance”) I wish I could say I’m always grateful and gracious but I’m not. And I can never be “the best version of me” all on my own. I must call on a higher power. And when I remember to call, God is there. It is only human to want things. The having of “things” is not a sin. But if we focus on our wants and feel miserable every day because we can never satisfy those cravings, we are unable to enjoy the blessings we HAVE been given. Also, when we learn to wait for and accept what God is giving us (or not giving us), then when “extra blessings” come our way, it is that much sweeter. Some people call it “delayed gratification”. God calls it faith and trust. The Bible says He will supply all our NEEDS! In Hebrews 4:16 it says: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Philippians 4:19 says: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Don’t worry! You will have what you need! Smile and be joyful!
I think that one of the most important lessons that parents must teach their children is the difference between a need and a want. That’s a lot easier to do when you live on a tight budget. In fact, the more kids you have and the less money you have, that lesson kind of teaches itself. I have been so blessed to be a teacher, for so many reasons. And without a doubt, the biggest perk of the job was being home with my children every summer. (Summer is what being a kid is all about.) But on a “teacher budget”, creativity regarding entertainment is a must. At the beginning of June each year we would make a list of all the things we could do and places we could go, on our big break. The list had one stipulation. The activity had to be cheap, or even better, free! The (places to go) list included things like take a picnic to the park, explore antique stores, swim at Aunt Jamie’s, spend the night at Aunt Charla’s, go to the library and (the weirdest one) walk around Walgreens. Notice you do not see the word “shop” anywhere on that list. The whole idea was to be entertained without spending money. The Walgreens trips went something like this: “Ok, we are going in but we are only looking. No buying, just looking. We are not spending any money. Now, let’s have fun!” To be honest I said this about most stores. Believe it or not my kids still talk about those outings, and not in a bitter or negative way. We did have fun and (bless their little hearts) they very rarely complained about not buying anything. They are old enough now to appreciate that I was just doing what I had to do. The fun was in spending time together, not in spending money. And I have five amazing, frugal daughters that can not only make a budget, they can live on one. In fact, we did get to go to Disney World one summer as a family because one daughter lived at home after college, saved her money and paid for our surprise trip. That trip is a cherished family memory! I’m not criticizing anyone for doing anything differently when it comes to raising kids. We just had to make it work for our situation. And everyone learns life lessons in different ways at different times. We all make sacrifices and do without but how do we feel about that? How do we act? Are we happy to do it or do we grumble and complain and say “Poor me!” or “I never get what I want!” (Waa, waa! Somebody call the “Waambulance”) I wish I could say I’m always grateful and gracious but I’m not. And I can never be “the best version of me” all on my own. I must call on a higher power. And when I remember to call, God is there. It is only human to want things. The having of “things” is not a sin. But if we focus on our wants and feel miserable every day because we can never satisfy those cravings, we are unable to enjoy the blessings we HAVE been given. Also, when we learn to wait for and accept what God is giving us (or not giving us), then when “extra blessings” come our way, it is that much sweeter. Some people call it “delayed gratification”. God calls it faith and trust. The Bible says He will supply all our NEEDS! In Hebrews 4:16 it says: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Philippians 4:19 says: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Don’t worry! You will have what you need! Smile and be joyful!
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