I never dive into making New Year's resolutions at midnight Dec. 31st or shortly thereafter. I ease into making them whether or not I think I can come close to keeping them.
Because we are in a financial crunch time, there are some resolutions that will make sense.
So, I will resolve to put myself on a weekly budget. I also resolve to eat out less - an important facet of the weekly budget.
A while ago I used to bring my lunch to work. I grew out of the habit when the job kept me out in the field away from my lunch aging back in the office refrigerator. Lately, I find I'm not missing restaurant food so much so I'll eat at work and go out on special occasions. Then it will mean more to me. I'll reward myself. Too much of a good thing isn't always the best thing.
We have some fine eating spots in our community that serve good lunches in a timely manner, so now and then I'll indulge myself. I'm noticing that many restaurants are restructuring menus to accommodate the economy. Every little bit can help.
Shopping for the best grocery bargains is another area I resolve to improve upon this year. Making the trips count really helps and there are ways to stock up on the best buys.
I'm making a list and sticking to it.
Ha. I try, but here's what happens when you go grocery shopping before lunch or dinner. Everything sounds good. It doesn't take long to fill up the old shopping cart. I think they should make the carts smaller. Yes. Like the ones at the bargain variety stores - tiny little things that can't hold a lot. I watch people go into the big discount grocery stores and fill two or three carts. It makes me wonder how they get it all in that mini SUV. I suppose they have a lot of mouths to feed.
My mother was a great shopper when it came to the grocery scene. She could take a mere pittance of an allowance from my dad and stretch it a mile - then have money left over to go buy a pair of discounted shoes for herself.
Nothing was ever wasted, not like we waste today. She could split up packages of beef and chicken and go a month on a two-week budget.
A while ago, I bought a small chest freezer so I could pack away some frozen bargains. However, I didn't realize I wasn't getting a frost-free unit. So when the frost builds, the thing has to be defrosted. That means timing is everything. I must remember not to fill it when the frost is begging to be dissolved. There's no place to put the food anywhere else.
I think most of us could use good lessons from our practical parents who went through the Great Depression and some really hard times. These days, we should value the advice those wise souls left us to ponder. For many of the Baby Boomers and today's Y generation, all those whistles, buttons and toys stacked up easy at first. Sadly for some, they don't fit into a survival mode.
Face it; it's hard to give up our heart's desires after the fact.
Take a look around at who is packing cell phones - kids at school. My grandson, who doesn't have a cell phone, brought a note home from his teacher. It was clear and stated that no cell phones are allowed in her class except those set on silent. No way, no how - not vibrate! Only silent!
Parents can call the school to reach their children. Children can call from school to reach parents. School offices allow that if it's important. But the convenience of a phone that for some is a babysitter has become a real habit created that our new-age lifestyles. Some of the many state-of-the-art electronic devices come with steep price tags and monthly or annual financial commitments.
It might take stepping back a few decades for Americans to survive. It truly seems to mean we must go back to the basics - what's actually important in life - such as food, shelter, responsibility and respectability. And not necessarily in that order, either.
I'm hearing from a lot more people that simplicity is beginning to matter. Could simple and practical return to a gluttonous society?
What a righteous thought!
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 1
Tammohawk writes:
I honestly believe that people have become what I call "too connected". Many have given up thier home land line phones in favor of cell phones, which is much more expensive. Unless it is necessary for work, give up the cell phones people!
We recently purchased a new freezer ourselves. We bought a half of beef and needed more room than the small chest freezer afforded us. We try to stock up as much as we possibly can. I also freeze alot of food for future use.
I think back frequently to my grandmother. She grew the majority of the families fruits and vegetables. What she didn't grow herself, she either bought or traded with her neighbors. She had a nice sized walk in pantry that was full of all of her canned goods. I want a pantry that looks like my grandmothers.
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