Cheerful Frugality & The Gift Of Less
As a parent, I work hard to give my kids the right experiences: music, swim proficiency, time with grandparents far away. I worry about finding the right church, the right friends, the right toys.
We have deliberately chosen a life slowed down. When we exchanged my salary for family time, we knew we'd be able to provide a little less, materially speaking.
But who doesn't look at the neighbor's green grass every once in a while--and wonder what if?
When we raise our families within (or below) our means, we can't give them every opportunity. But we can give them a powerful gift--what I like to call the gift of Less.
The gift of Less means that you can enjoy a vintage Mickey Mouse Club dvd from the library instead of feeling like a victim of a movie theatre's $10 tickets.
The gift of Less means that a $4 trip to a lake, spent together, is just as satisfying as a $50 water park weekend away.
The gift of Less means that thrift store clothes are coated with garden dirt, instead of being carefully guarded for future resale.
The gift of Less means that, even if they choose to live a different lifestyle as adults, they'll remember how to live leaner, should the time come.
The gift of Less means that we have less, buy less, need less...
...yet enjoy life just the same, or more.
How is the gift of Less unwrapped at your house?
Want more like this post? Read on!
- Cheerful Frugality Spray Paints In our discussion about making old things feel new again,...
- Frugality and the WOW Factor The three frugal books I have found most helpful remain...
- Cheerful Frugality Fights Buyers Regret Ever made a big purchase, then lived to second guess it? We...
- Cheerful Frugality Explores Extremes As frugality bumps into mainstream media, I'm hearing more backlash from...
- Cheerful Frugality Budgets For Better, For Worse My brother emailed to ask if I had an extra...
10 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality & The Gift Of Less”
August 31st, 2009 at 10:20 am
We chose to keep picking berries when the children were rather tired of it, and we talked about how if we do a good job of picking the berries, we are actually saving money, because food costs money; and when we store up what food God provides us, we will be thankful when we can eat it later. Plus, all enjoyed an afternoon together in the sun while doing it. We even took some cute photos which will be lovely to look at later when it’s blowing snow outside. Less this month has meant seeing better what God is giving, and being so thankful. Which isn’t really less at all.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:13 am
First, yeah! You’re still writing here! I’m so glad.
The Gift of Less is something I think about quite a bit. We’re good friends with a family whose children are so overloaded with lessons, camps, playdates, sports. Even a traveling “all star” sports team for the 7 year old. It’s easy for kids (and sometimes moms) to follow into the “why can’t we?” line of thought.
I know that we’re on the right path, but I can’t help feeling like we need more fun. Especially these days when I am to tired (and huge!) to go anywhere that isn’t absolutely neccessary. Right now we’re really focusing on spending time with extended family which we wouldn’t be able to do if we were busy running around!
September 1st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Having less means you have more time. It takes less time to maintain a relaxed lifestyle, which leaves more time to enjoy the time with your family. They are only children for such a short period, and I would much rather spend my time snuggled up with giggly girls on a couch than running around constantly trying to keep too many things together.
September 1st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I think that the more we indulge our kids, the more they come to expect special treatments as the norm. Treats ought to be exactly that–treats! Great post.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:40 pm
When I first read Amy Dacyczyn’s “Tightwad Gazette,” I was struck by her analogy that “too much” of anything is overwhelming. Much like a museum of art that is all stuck together – floor, ceiling, every inch of wall space. It would have no space, and, no mats around the art. The art, no matter the quality, just becomes clutter.
I try to make sure that my kids have “experiences” not clutter in their lives. So, we plan activities and talk about our plans. We do whatever we have planned. Then, we talk about what we did. My kids are clear about what they have been doing – at home, on vacation, projects, etc. Because we chose less, we have the luxury of more time.
My children “do” far less than some of their friends on vacation. For example, we plan our beach outing in the morning and pack as a family. We go to the beach for most of the afternoon and evening. We enjoy every single minute of it because we are so primed for fun!! Afterword, we enjoy a can of soda (a treat) and chips (also a treat) while singing and chatting on the way home. No new toys, no restaurant meals, nothing fancy. Just focus and family. My kids LOVE it. And, interestingly, their friends clamor to go with us! These are kids that are given everything at a rapid rate. They never just talk over something, they acquire and run around chasing happiness.
Kids long for the closeness in a family. They want to discuss things that they may or may not get. (I think that delayed gratification can help kids develop an imagination.) My kids are sometimes jealous of what the other kids are given. But, they have more joy in their lives, more of their parent’s time, more time to absorb their surroundings. They seem more content then their wound-up, cranky counterparts who are frantically seeking the next experience rather than the joy of the current moment.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
My girls are happily wandering the back yard right now looking for spider webs and drawing with sticks in the sand. I’m trying to balance things with experiences as a kid so they know the important thing is the time we spend together.
Thankfully, they were both recounting this morning why they love their gramma and papa so much…papa because he brings them muffins once a week (my dad is a feeder of all) and grammma is loved because she gives so many big hugs!
Yeah for the gift of less.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I agree – we recently went camping, taking my niece and nephew along with my two kids. All we did was swim in the lake, bike, and cook out. Best time they’d had in ages!
September 4th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I really loved this post and wanted to pass it on to some friends as i feel it gives really good perspective. Can i copy and paste and give credit by linking the source? (i’m afraid they won’t go to this blog if i just send a link). wanted to ask permission before i did.
thanks for the great reminder of the benefits of living with less.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Smaller house means more time together in the living room and kitchen. Using the woodstove for heat instead of central heating means more time as a family gathered around the fire and more time chopping and stacking wood together. Small closets mean less accumulation because there are limits.
Good thoughts. I can think of more examples and will keep looking–it’s fun to find things that fit this mindset.
September 29th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I think of this often: it applies to cars, clothes, housing, food, house repairs, vacations, and many other aspects of life. But we need to model living-below-your-means to our children.
For example,
If the money is available, ANYONE can spend $10,000 on a 1-week trip.
But, by driving, doing most of our own cooking, and looking for inexpensive accommodations, we’re teaching the kids that you don’t have to fly to Hawaii to have a nice vacation.
By buying (slightly) used cars, we save thousands over the new car price. (And insurance costs are less too).
By letting the kids have friends over and cooking at home, we give them the experience of a meal together without the restaurant price tag.
Just cause you CAN afford some things doesn’t mean you SHOULD afford them.
Leave a Comment