Don't mind me as I just write out a few things that have been on my mind lately.
We don't buy a lot of new things in our house, and we have a frustratingly long process for out-of-the-ordinary purchases (like our freezer purchase that will happen this year but has been 4 years in the making).
It started out because we don't currently have the funds for a lot of new things. We definitely made a lot of sacrifices in order for me to stay home with our son. It's not the smartest financial decision for us, but it's the best decision we could have made.
I've always been a painfully frugal person, and I think I've driven my mom insane because she has given me money to buy a certain item and I've used it on more practical things instead. She gave me money for a sewing machine twice (as birthday or Christmas presents) before she just went out and got one for me instead. Sorry, Mom.
But my need to save money has recently been overshadowed by the idea that I don't want (or need) to have more STUFF in the world. Why buy something new when there is so much STUFF that is used out there that is perfectly good? Plastic STUFF everywhere. Why do we all think we need something new and fancy? Most of our STUFF just gets thrown out eventually anyway, to live out the rest of it's plastic life in a garbage heap.
Also, Dillon and I don't want our son to have everything he ever wanted. That sounds harsh. But I want our son to know the value of money; I want him to understand that we don't have the budget for XYZ toys or cereal with spongebob on the box; I want him to realize that he is among the richest people to have ever lived on the planet and have a desire to share his fortune with others; I want him to spend time with a few toys rather than be overwhelmed or wasteful (and not careful) with many toys.
Sometimes I think I should be one of those people who live with only 100 possessions. But then I see something I really want. So don't get me wrong, I like new things too. I've been bitten by the pinterest bug many many times. I CAN'T WAIT for the day when we can get rid of our orange countertops and get some cupboards that match. It's a hard balance to find, and I don't think I've found it yet.
At any rate, this has been on my mind as we've recently had to say "No" to a few things that I've really wanted or wanted to do. We've set our priorities (me staying home and not giving our son a bunch of STUFF) and now we have to live with them, darn it.
So what do you think? Am I being too optimistic for my son's life lessons here? Do you secretly love the orange countertops and hope they'll stay forever?
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