Call it what you want. Your daily routine- Distance with your spouse, whining from your kids, day after day cleaning, or same old job to go to, -insert your own here-.
But sometimes the mundane of life can be well, tedious.
When you are living life on a budget and living life within your means it can be hard to trudge against the powerful waves of “I need this and I want that.”
It can feel like a dark cloud has taken over you, when you start to turn your eye to your neighbor, thinking that maybe you need more too.
It can feel quite lonely when you are happy with just the way things are and your dearest friend brings to your attention “You could have so much more.”
Happiness is just a new shiny item away.
But we don’t really believe that do we?
Comparison.
Man. What a word.
What a sneaky snake word.
You know why?
Because our society throws us a comparison suit every time we plug in.
It plays on our inner self.
T.V.
Internet.
Stores.
Highways.
Magazines.
The only place I find lately that I’m not bombarded is nature. You know outdoors WITHOUT a phone. 🙂
Last year millennials spent 18 hours a day consuming media.
Think about it. All the time you log on to your phone.
We have become so needy on information or something to do that we can’t sit through T.V. commercials without going to another device.
Of course we all know this.
But the biggest problem I know as a millennial myself is this;
We are putting ourselves in a dangerous game of comparison.
I just did it the other day.
It’s 90 degrees out. I’m sweating, the kids are sweating and I tell them to get downstairs where our free AC flows on. (Basement)
I go to the kitchen cupboard to get drinks out and my nail catches on the paint and another white chunk is exposed behind our red cupboards.
The many layers of paint is noticeable. The cheap particle board also known as our kitchen shelves looks ghetto. I think it may look worse since I tried to cover only half up with contact paper!
I can’t fit my plates straight in. You have to slightly lift them up and then slide in. All my mixing bowls need to come out and placed just right, from biggest down to smallest or they have a new home, on the counter.
There’s plenty of little quirks in our kitchen. Plenty of reason for society to come in and laugh and ask “Why don’t you get yourself a new kitchen?”
And then it started.
We need a new house.
We need a new kitchen.
We need this. We can get that. I. need. now.
And in the few days of wanting I started to feel distance. My husband was there to remind me of who was I trying to please?!
I have said before that I am fine with our beat up cupboards right now while having young kids.
I am fine that our extra money can go towards a night out for dinner or maybe a trip to see my parents, even better yet our mortgage.
Why do I think I need new right now?
And in a moment standing out in our Raspberry patch I heard a still small voice.
“Haven’t I given you so much already?”I laughed. I fell to my knees and I cried.
You have Lord. You so have.
It can be very dangerous to let yourself soak in today’s culture of needing more. We quickly lose focus of our priorities in life.
If we just wait and be patient those wants will be satisfied. Sometimes those wants just disappear and we are filled with contentment.
Philipains 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Sometimes the wants are granted in a way we could have never imagined. In a way only God had planned.
When you are striving to live the best life on a budget aim for contentment.
Don’t feel ashamed for not needing something new.
Don’t feel ashamed for looking for used items before you look for brand new.
Don’t be ashamed to shop clearance and still use coupons. And by all means, DON’T be ashamed to use coupons.
Today I’m praying for you right now reading this post. Let it be an encouragement to you or to someone you know you can pass it on to.
May you find contentment and joy today!
Leah Courtney
This is such a good reminder. We are a family of six in a little house and the majority of our furniture is hand me downs. But I have the privilege of staying home and homeschooling my kids, and I wouldn’t trade that. But it’s easy to slip into that comparison trap sometimes. So I’m glad for the reminder. 🙂
andi
that whole “keeping up with the Joneses” thing – it can get us into SO much trouble
Hillary
Tasia, I love this post. I, too, try to live modestly with used and re-purposed possessions and a small home. I am quite content with our decisions as a family until I go to someone else’s home. Then I start feeling bad about our home, our things. I recently wrote a little humor post about this, Martyr in a materialistic world, but the tone of it was not quite right (though I published it). I like this post of yours better for the encouragement and community factor. Many of us are truly trying to live well, to live within means, despite the comparisons that smack us in the face every time we look up.
Also, I think the 18 hours on mixed media thing is quite scary. That is, I believe, very unhealthy for anybody, because the comparisons aren’t just limited to our stuff; they spread to our bodies, minds, talents, personalities. Nature is an excellent cure, but, as you said, leave the phone at home!
Tasia
That’s exactly it. You feel great until you leave you own little home. We shouldn’t have to feel that way and we don’t! Thanks fo stopping by Hillary!
Keisha Gardner
Wonderful points! Comparison and discontent can really kill the best of intentions when it comes to budget.
Tabitha
This is a great post and a solid reminder. I struggle a lot with this. Not so much that I think we need better, but that I always have all these ideas of things I’d like to do to my house, and not having the funds to do it. Hubs and I have been working on separating the difference between the needs and the wants.
Terri
I absolutely love this blog post. I’m on a strict budget as I try to pay off my student loans which I means I don’t always have the nicest things. That of course leads to comparison. But whenever I start to compare myself to others, I always think to myself that all I can do is aim to be better than I was yesterday. Once I do that, it all makes sense.
Tasia
Thanks Terri! That is so true about all you can do is aim to be better than I was yesterday! Thanks for stopping by!