Provident Living

Today is my daughters birthday, she woke up to her usual birthday note and flowers, which reminded me of this post I shared a year ago. I thought it would be nice to share again today. Plus, check out the bottom of the post for a fun update!

Think back to when you were young, do you remember any of your birthday presents? Chances are you may remember one or two, but if you think about those gifts, they are probably memorable because of the emotion attached to them.  The only one that sticks out in my mind is a Snoopy radio I received from my parents.  I loved that thing!  It had terrible reception and a tiny speaker, but I loved it because I loved Snoopy, and my parents knew that I loved Snoopy.  The radio was probably a cheap radio, but if I had received a sophisticated high-end radio with ten times the features and superior quality, I doubt it would have meant as much, or even have been remembered.

When I think about my birthdays as a child, the things I remember the most, are not the gifts that were given to me, but the things my parents did for me.  My strongest memories are attached to experiences that evoked the strongest emotions.  Things that made me feel loved, things that often didn’t require any money at all, are the things that have been warmly preserved in the cherished corners of my mind…and heart.

One of my fondest birthday memories is from my dad.  He created a “Today is Christine’s Birthday” sign, and he would put it out in our front yard on every single one of my birthdays. Every birthday, I would get my photo taken by my sign.  It made me feel special.

As I grew older, and became a teenager, I became a little less enthusiastic about the ritual, but even those years created important memories that I look back on with sincere fondness.  I remember one year being embarrassed of the “Today is Christine’s Birthday” sign that my dad would put in our yard.  Flexing my “independent teenager” muscle, I decided I would hide the sign before my 16^th birthday so it couldn’t be displayed in the yard to announce to the whole neighborhood that it was my birthday.  I can still recall how my dad looked as he searched everywhere for that sign.

As it turns out, I didn’t hide it well enough, because he eventually found it.  I pleaded with him, “Please Dad! Don’t put it out in the front yard”.  In what I momentarily thought was a very tender gesture, my dad agreed that he wouldn’t put the birthday sign in the yard… instead he marched up and down the street holding the sign and shouting “Today is Christine’s Birthday”!

As mortified as I was as a teenager, I am so glad my Dad took the time to make that sign and share with everyone that it was his daughter’s birthday.  As I reflect on those birthdays today, I recognize, even more than I did back then, how much my dad loved me and how much he wanted to show the world that he was proud to have me as his daughter.

In addition to the annual “Birthday Sign” from my dad, I hold very dear birthday memories from my mom as well.  Every year on my birthday, I would always wake up to a bud vase set next to my bed.  My mom would cut some simple flowers from our garden and position them carefully alongside a written note that read “Happy Birthday Chris”. This was such a simple gesture, but it happened every birthday.  I can still remember the soft scent of the flowers that were left each year letting me know that I was loved.

Every year, for my daughter’s birthday, I  follow the wise example of my parents and focus more on some simple experiences, like those that created such a warm tapestry of childhood memories for me.  I want to help create anchoring experiences born from simple, sincere, acts of love that will hopefully evoke emotional recollections of years gone by.  This year, my daughter woke up to this:

I am not advocating that all gifts must be banished for birthdays, or that every present must be handmade or grown in a garden.  But in today’s world where there are so many materialistic messages that persuade us to focus on “stuff”, to spend money to get the shiniest toy or the most expensive trendy trinket, it is important to stop and ask ourselves if we are giving the most important gifts; the gift of love, the gift of time, the gift of a home that is a refuge from the pressures of the world. These are the true treasures of life, treasures that will forge memories for the future, allowing us to remember the simpler days of our youth.

I think when my daughter is older she probably won’t remember the things she got on her birthday.  Instead I hope she will remember the flowers she woke up to and the way it made her feel, a reminder that she was loved.  Perhaps on a distant day, when life get’s somewhat stormy, these memories will provide a saving souvenir that in life, sometimes we need to do more than just “stop and smell the flowers”, sometimes we need to “wake and smell the flowers”.

Written by me, and then re-written by my husband, so it sounds good!  Thanks Steve!

UPDATE: I received a gift from my Dad last Christmas, he was so excited for me to open it. Look what was inside:

He gave me the exact same Snoopy radio I adored as a child. How sweet is that? He had to do a lot of searching, but he finally found one. It makes me smile every time I see it.   Yep, my Dad is a pretty wonderful guy!

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The following is a guest post from my husband Steve, who share his thoughts on Extreme Couponing and the value of time vs. money.

In the movie, “The Karate Kid”, Mr. Miyagi does more than teach Daniel about Karate, he teaches him about life.

Miyagi: Lesson not just karate only.  Lesson for whole life.  Whole life have a balance, everything be better. Understand?
Daniel: When do I learn how to punch?
Miyagi: Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good, everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home.

Mr. Miyagi’s profound wisdom applies equally to couponing and thrifty living.

Having recently seen some of the focus placed on “Extreme Couponing” with the commercialized exposés done on television, I am slightly concerned by the superficial glorification of the coupon craft.  Like so many things showcased by Hollywood, in their attempt to make something interesting and exciting, they have suffocated the simplicity and utility of couponing by applying layers of artificial, gaudy, “coupon cosmetics”; so much so that their attempts to be titillating have tarnished and concealed the virtues extolled by common-sense couponers.

I will concede that these types of shows have brought awareness to the pursuit of couponing, which is a positive thing, but I want to ensure that those who may be just embarking upon the path of coupons and bargain shopping do not find themselves demoralized and giving up because they feel inadequate if their coupon pursuits pale in comparison.

There is far more value to developing shopping habits that are moderate, but functional and consistent, than to merely dabbling briefly with coupons while trying to duplicate the glitz, glam, and sensationalism that seems so prevalent in the examples shown by the media.  After all, Mr. Miyagi did not need a Black Belt to prove his martial arts prowess; rather, his canvas belt from JC Penney was just used to hold up his pants, and only cost $3.98 (not a bad deal).  It is this principle of everyday couponing, the down to earth actions which leave out the fluff, but demonstrate the realities of disciplined thrift, that I wish to applaud.

To be clear, I think people that use coupons are mostly normal.  I say mostly normal because even my wife can get a little crazy during Target clearance days.  But what you see on Extreme Couponing and similar programs is about as real as WWF professional wrestling.  (If Hulk Hogan clips coupons I am going to be in real trouble.)  Even hardcore coupon enthusiasts don’t shop like that.  Those are staged events that have at their foundation some truths of thrifty living, but the absurdity of the execution casts a disparaging light on the noble practice of sensible savers.

There must be balance in all things, including couponing.  At the risk of sounding blasphemous to some couponers, let me express a view that perhaps does not echo the more widely embraced mantra of many coupon clippers.  There is more to thrifty living than just the amount of money you save.

For me, time has as much value, if not more value, than dollars and cents.  If stores had coupons for “50% Off Your Time In Line”, or “Get 15 Minutes of Free Time” I would be a more eager coupon user.   Using coupons is a wonderful attribute and can pay rich dividends.  It has been a blessing in our lives and I am grateful for my wife’s efforts.  But we must all weigh the return on our investments.

If the time it takes to use, or research, a particular coupon or deal is overly burdensome and means sacrificing time with the family, or if the requirements for redeeming a rebate or receiving certain savings are so complex that you run the risk of forfeiting the advertised savings, it may be a more balanced approach to forgo the deal.  Likewise, if you are using coupons in such a way that you need to rent a trailer to get your purchases home, you may not have the most prudent approach to frugal living.

In other words, just like Daniel-son from the Karate Kid, we must have balance.  It is not just the punch or the attack that brings victory, it is the balanced approach to the fight.  Am I saying that clipping coupons or researching deals is a waste of time, absolutely not.  Should you use coupons and bargain shopping to build up reserves for your family and stretch your family finances, yes.  But we must have balance in all things.

So listen to your inner Miyagi. You may hear him say, “Balance is key. If balance good, coupons good, everything good. If balance bad, better pack up, go home.”

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I picked up my first stocking stuffer for Christmas 2011, while I was out running some errands last night.   I picked up this 2-pack of fuzzy slipper socks at Kohls for only $2.40, they were 80% off.   I will throw these in a bin in my garage, where they will wait until December, when they will be added to my daughter’s Christmas stocking.

I know I have said this several times already, but one of the biggest ways I can save my family money is by buying items before I need them, when they are deeply discounted. I will pick up clearance items at 75-90% off and save them for when they are needed.   Not only does this save me money, but it saves a lot of time too.   When Christmas rolls around, I should have the majority of the stocking stuffers already purchased, so I can spend more time enjoying the holiday.

Anybody else have some stocking stuffers already?   I am sure I am not alone!

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Every year Molen Orthodontics offers to buy back your kids Halloween candy.   This year the buy back will take place on Monday, November 1st from 2:30 – 6:30 pm. They will pay $2 per pound (up to 10 lbs) – that is up to $20 bucks!!

Here are all the details:

• Bring in your wrapped Halloween candy and in exchange they will pay $2 per lb (up to 10 lbs)
• Free milk and cookies for everyone
• All Trick or Treaters are welcome to participate
• All Candy and Canned food will be donated to a charitable org.
• Earn an extra $1 if you wear your costume
• Earn an extra $1 in you bring a min of 2 canned items to donate
• Earn 10 Molen Moolah for turning in your candy

Here are their locations:

• Auburn
• Sumner
• Enumclaw

You can read all about the Molen Orthodontics Buy Back event and get the addresses to their locations HERE.

Please leave a comment if you know of another business that participates in a candy buy back event.

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