feeling poor - or rich?
This is not one of those “Eureka! I’ve figured it all out” posts.
This is a “this is the tip of the iceberg” type post.
I have many, many thoughts swirling in my head so it’s very likely they may not make a lot of sense. I am also not going to try to do much editing just yet. I just want to get it down.
I read this great post by Mary Hunt of Debt Proof Living.
If you can, pop over there and read it. (It should open in a new window)
This is SO my problem. I grew up pretty poor. We always had food, but I didn’t always have clothes that fit or were in style. Of course, my best friends certainly did. I always felt like “less” because of it.
As you can imagine, this has followed me into adulthood.
I will be super frugal and deny myself, and then BAM! It all blows up.
I hope to find the middle road. I am not being frugal because I am poor. I am frugal because I want the BEST out of each dollar.
So when my kids ask for some shoes at Walmart I have these choices:
- a. No, we can’t afford it. (makes me feel poor)
- b. Darn it! I work hard. Don’t tell me I can’t even afford Walmart shoes for my kids. (poor thinking)
- c. I’d rather wait and buy better shoes somewhere else. (RICH)
I’ll admit that yesterday, I chose B. Which then opened the flood gates of buying. I bought the littlest bug a couple of shirts and jeans.
Did she NEED them? Well - yes. But not that instant. We certainly could have waiting for my to find them used (hello Ebay). We could have gotten much better quality for the same money.
It’s not that the money shouldn’t have been spent. It’s that I could have easily gotten more/better with it.
