We all go through various seasons in life, when time and energy are consumed with studies and job, or raising children, or recovering from illness. I am, hopefully, coming out of one of those seasons of less-than-perfect health. And, I have to admit, there have been times in the past several months when I really didn't feel like doing the thrifty things. So, in my weakened condition, did I blow the budget?
This is where my reasons for doing the thrifty things come into play. I have grown to believe that the best way to establish a new habit is to tie it to a goal. Now, obviously, thrift isn't a new habit with me, but in honesty, the goals I have pursued using thrift strategies have changed over time. Initially, they were about being a part-time employee and full-time mom, and stretching the limited financial means of my family. Thrift still enables my family to maximize our financial resources. In recent years, however, the goal which has emerged is the desire to have more money to give to the needs of others.
Please know that I don't think I'm noble because I desire to give; in fact, I'm a little embarrassed that the importance of giving to others wasn't really on my radar for a large chunk of my life. But, as a goal, it enables me to maintain a thrifty lifestyle when I otherwise don't feel like it, because there is a direct connection between how much I spend on myself and how much I have to give others.
Knowing that the temptation to splurge (or to take an easier route) will be there at times motivates me to plan for those times. Some ways those plans take shape regarding, for example, meals:
--By batch cooking and freezing meals, I typically have several dinner options in the freezer, ready to defrost and heat when I don't feel like cooking.
--On nights I don't even feel like defrosting something, I have ingredients on hand for easy, somewhat-healthy, snack-like meals:
--rolled tortillas filled with melted cheese, dipped in salsa
--crackers or pretzels covered with peanut butter (my husband adds chocolate syrup to this!)
--cut up apple and chunks of cheese, or apple and celery pieces spread with peanut butter
--a "tray", which is basically any finger food we have on hand set out on a tray. Typically this would
contain apples, grapes, oranges or other fresh or dried fruit; peanuts or other nuts; cheeses; deli
meats; carrots, celery, broccoli and other veggies with dip; pickles or olives, etc.
I realize that not all of these options are nutritionally complete, but then, neither is the bubba-burger I could buy at the fast-food place down the road. The above ideas are intended as occasional meals, not a regular menu.
Another thing that enables us to remain thrifty is having a buffer, or "blow-money", or margin. Whatever you call it, having a little money which you plan to set aside in case you need it just makes sense. I don't have to do major guilt about not cooking if there's money earmarked for that possibility. (And my "earmarks" have the added benefit of not being attached to a Congressional bill.)
While these ideas deal mainly with food options, it's because that's where I'm most tempted to splurge. If another area is an economic weakness for you, having a back-up plan for that area only makes sense. So, if you know you often have trouble finding clothing for a big event, start shopping (first in your own closet) for an outfit as soon as you receive the wedding invitation, rather than the morning of the big day. Often allowing for a margin of time gains us a financial benefit as well, and we're less likely to overspend at the last minute.
So, do I ever just blow it? Well, of course, I do. But, for the most part, my little thrift disasters still occur within the confines of a pre-determined economic margin. So, when I go on a binge and crave multiple packages of cream horns, I know that my little indiscretions in the Bakery Department still leave me with money to share . . . which brings us back to the idea of spending being goal-driven. That's a good thing. Otherwise, more often than not, someone else might go hungry because I'm in a pastry-induced sugar coma. And, when I'm lucid, that's really not who I want to be.
--Susan Rodebush © 2010
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