I have had a lot of very interesting conversations this summer. One conversation that was interesting to me was with a young mom of multiple children. We talked about providing for our kids and taking care of what they need.
She shared with me that one of her weaknesses is the clearance section at the stores she likes to shop at. Because of that weakness, she accumulated some credit card debt that she is now working part-time to pay off.
I reflected on my experience with the clearance at Target. I have to admit that I enjoy shopping. And I love buying things on Clearance. But, the past two months have made me pause many, many times and consider what I have purchased that my family actually needed and didn't. I remember purchasing clothing items on clearance when my kids were little and then discovering down the road that they either wouldn't wear them (some pajamas last winter that I'd bought for my son) or didn't fit given the season and my child's height/weight. So, in the end, I didn't save anything by buying that item on clearance. I actually lost or even wasted money. I didn't take on debt to buy things on clearance, but I realize now that though clearance makes one think he/she is saving money, he/she may not be...
When I realized this, I made myself stop buying kids clothing on clearance. If I need to buy some clothes for kids, I always check the clearance first, but only for that current season.
We are in the process of moving. It's been interesting to see how much we have accumulated while living in our current home! Every time I packed a box I took a look at what I was packing and asked myself, "Do I need this?" and "Do I want to move this?" A lot of things in my basement are there for the "what if...?" but we don't have a garage and many things are there for the future or for the once a year time when we need them. I also have a grade span of 6 grades that I have to store homeschool books for, many of which are out of print or hard to find.
I still remember in 4th grade when my mom asked me about a sweatshirt I really wanted "Do you need it?" I didn't. I wanted it. My mom didn't have any extra money to spend on it and I knew it. Sometimes it's easy to be honest with myself about what we do and don't need. Sometimes there's room in our budget to buy something for a rainy day.
But, I want to do better in the future. I don't want to hold on too tight to possessions or money, but I want to remember that I only need to buy what we need. Storing things up takes time and energy! (and if you're moving, it takes extra energy and space!)
