Simply Saturday

The beginning of this month, Country Boy and I voluntarily went on a ten day 'financial fast'.  The plan was to eat what was in the house, not go any place extra if we couldn't afford to burn the gas and basically not buy anything within those ten days.  I got the idea from The Cheapskate Next Door book I had just finished reading.  The author called it a Fiscal Fast and suggested to try it for a week.  We've easily gone five or six days in the past without intentionally trying so we decided to stretch ourselves and go for ten days.  This time was also about learning to be good stewards with the monies the Lord has blessed us with.

I would have to call our 'fast' a success even though Country Boy had to purchase one meal while at work one day.  Although he packs his breakfast, lunch and dinner every time he goes to work, there are occasions when the 911 call load is so heavy that he doesn't get back to his station to eat.  This was one of those times and couldn't be helped.  Other than that, no monies were spent.  For TEN days!

What an eye opener, too, on how much money is spent unnecessarily.  Sodas, coffee, snacks... these are very costly items at convenience stores and even at the grocery checkout counter.  They also create a lot of waste.  Take a few minutes before you walk out the door and think about what you may need to eat or drink while you're at work or running errands and bring it with you from home.  Use refillable beverage containers and drink lots of water from your tap (not bottled water!).  It's free and it's good for you!

Another biggie is buying an item(s) that isn't on your list.  Superstores are known for moving their merchandise around so that you'll have to hunt for the item on your list.  They're hoping that you'll walk past something that you just can't live without, snatch it up and throw it in your cart before you even stop to think about if this is really a need or a want.  Today, the line between needs and wants has become blurred.  We are bombarded daily with consumerism telling us that we need the latest and greatest (you fill in the blank with whatever is a shopping weakness for you).

Speaking of consumerism, the author also suggested watching a video on the Internet that explains consumerism quite well.  It's a twenty minute video but is well worth every minute of your time.  It truly explains consumerism and what it is doing to this country.  I urge you to watch it my friends.  You'll think twice before buying stuff!

The Story of Stuff

I will say that initially, the ten days seemed like it would last forever only because I feared failing the temptations I would run into.  But, once my mind was made up and I realized how much money we would still have in our pockets at the end of the ten days it became much easier.  And, quite rewarding!

Who wouldn't want a little extra jingle in their pocket?

I hope y'all have a great weekend and I'd love to know your thoughts on the video!

Till next time,