This post from Carocoknits Weblog sums up my vision on frugality.
Know that you don’t need hundreds of pairs of earrings. Know that there are other ways to save money than using an egg carton as an earring holder. Simple living is about knowing what is important to you. It is not about baking bread and raising chickens. It is about making choices that are strictly based on you, not about what the neighbors might think.
I had been wanting to put on paper my swirling thoughts concerning "living rich". But I kept running into a brick wall, because I really don't know myself well enough yet. There are too many other voices still whispering in my head for me to be able to clearly know what I need in order to feel as though I am "living rich". Oh, there are moments of my day, when I "know" that what I'm experiencing or seeing is truly "rich". For instance, yesterday morning, Kiersten wanted to make a fruit salad. All we had was a pear and an orange, but we cut these up in bite size pieces and sat down to tea and fruit salad together. As we clasped hands over our little breakfast and I heard her sweet little voice pray, "Our dear Lord Jesus.....", I knew it was a moment that I wanted to hold onto! And, by the way, the fruit salad was delicious! Simple can be so wonderfully sweet!
"Living rich" is going to look so different for all of us, isn't it?! Just as living a frugal life fleshes itself out in very different ways in each family! I'm convinced, though, that for me to truly live a frugal life, I'm going to have to work on "living rich", which means I have to get to know myself! I have to listen to my true thoughts, now those fed to me from so many outside sources. And, of course, I must find QUIET in this noisy world that I might be able to hear the voice of the Spirit of God who created me. My Creator wants to teach me who I am and I know that I can learn that best by knowing who HE is!
By the way, I love to make bread and we do raise chickens! I feel quite rich as I sit down with my family to fresh baked bread lathered with real butter! And I find great joy watching the chickens free range across our property! I guess in my case, raising chickens and making bread fit into my living a rich life! But I understand that doing this might make you feel quite poor!
6 comments:
An enjoyable and thought-provoking post. ThanX for making me think. :-)
I started being frugal a few years ago to help pay off a debt (incurred mostly by medical bills), but now I think I'd stick with it even if I suddenly became rich in the monetary sense (ha, ha)--it's just too much fun! You are right, what makes us 'feel' rich is an individual thing. I made homemade pizza for the second time tonight, and even my finicky teenage son complimented me on that. Being someone who loves to cook, hearing that made me really happy!
I don't own any earrings, so I don't do the egg carton trick, LOL! But I've used covered cardboard boxes for organizing things. Over time, I've learned to find cuter ways to organize on discount racks, at garage sales and at the thrift store. I think I have a 'rich' person's organized craft room, but it hardly cost me anything.
It's all about our individual priorities. Some things (like jewelry and makeup), I don't care much about. But I want quality in my kitchen and in my meals. So that means I find the best buys on the best things. That's what's important to me. But it isn't what's important to you...so you are right to tune out that outside noise!
And a simple fruit salad of pears and oranges sounds divine!
You say it so well: "I must find quiet in this noisy world". Once you start getting a taste of that quiet, you will never allow life to get noisy again. For me, this meant being almost aggressive about what entered my home. This included turning off the answering machine so we didn't have this blinking light to deal with the minute we walked in the door. We don't listen to news on TV or radio. We are even to the point that we will meet people for coffee elsewhere. Very few people are allowed in our home, and they are very special in our lives. It is like walking a a tightrope sometimes, but well worth it. For now, our focus is our three children, and making their home their sanctuary. Home is where they are safe and loved and nothing else in the world matters. Period. Everything falls into place after that.
Finding out who you are is a good place to start in living rich. I think you are on your way!
Jody
Renee, this is really sweet. I love how you share this and bring it right down to what is important. I love how you saw such richness in the time with your daughter over that fruit salad. A big part of living rich would be our attitude, wouldn't it? And finding simple beauty. You do that well.
Susan
We have been financially well off and now struggle due to the economy. I feel better about where we are now than when I didn't have to think about a purchase. We have cut back in most areas; I bake our bread, we have a garden, and we hang clothes out to dry. I feel rich also!
Lisa Q
lifewiththequeens.blogspot.com
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