Faith & Family
Have you ever been down to a miniscule amount of shampoo with no money to buy more for at least another week? Instantly anxious, you assure yourself you’ll get by, resolving to use only pea-size amounts in your hair for the next however many showers—and then eventually a week passes, and you’re surprised to find that, not only did you have enough shampoo to get by, there’s even a little left inside the bottle.
Isn’t it amazing how we usually manage to manage when we have to? (Feel free to read that again for clarity.)
I’m notorious for doing this with money. Picture this: It’s payday, and I’ve just shelled out trillions of dollars for frozen pizzas and cereal—you know, groceries. (Sigh.) Peering into the cash compartment of my wallet, my heart rate somersaults over the scant amount of bills I have left—sort of like fretting over a nearly empty bottle of Head & Shoulders, am I right? Immediately I summon all the confidence I can muster and promise myself we’ll get by. One way or another—even if it means cutting out my favorite coffee drinks for a week or refusing (at least for now) to buy that pretty shirt I saw on the mannequin at Maurices—our family will be okay and make do, because what other option do we have?
Alternatively, let’s say I work more hours than usual, equipping me with a slightly bigger grocery budget than usual. Suddenly I become Elon Musk, buying name-brand Pop-Tarts and splurging on artificial gourds at Hobby Lobby. Not really sure where this disco ball pumpkin is going to go, but who cares—it’s 40% off and I’ve got the cash. Ooh, salt and pepper shakers shaped just like acorns!
The constantly-escalating prices of basically everything lately are no joke; money that once afforded a lengthy receipt’s worth of groceries now buys a fraction of that. (In my part of the world at least, a dozen eggs can be on sale for ninety-nine cents one week, then catapult to nearly six dollars the next. Speaking of which, hooray for parents who live in the boonies and own half a dozen egg-laying hens.)
But the (possibly harsh) reality of the matter is that—at least sometimes, you have to admit—we probably do have the funds to make ends meet. It’s more that we struggle with exerting self-control.
Recently this scenario played out in my own life yet again. My wallet a little bulkier after working four shifts at work instead of three, I quickly overspent on things I wanted but didn’t need: iced coffee and a muffin from my favorite shop several towns over (which also meant spending more on gas); silk flowers from an expensive art supply store; all the best snacks on my breaks at work, plus the chocolate-covered strawberries I forgot I’d committed to buying from a local fundraising effort.
Sparing no expense, I treated myself like an absolute queen—until suddenly I didn’t have the money to even purchase a loaf of bread.
I knew I didn’t want to feel like that again. Discouraged but ever the optimist, I committed to do better the next week. Instead of going to the store unprepared, I compiled a detailed shopping list and refused to deviate from it. I brought food from home to eat on my breaks at work, held off on coordinating lunch dates with friends, and kept only a small amount of cash in my purse. None of this was as fun as simply buying whatever I wanted, but still having money to work with between paydays offered a security far more valuable than some 20 oz cup of coffee or a new clothing item I’d probably be bored with within a week.
Learning to be creative and careful with money won’t eliminate your problems or minimize the very real pressure associated with paying bills, but—as I’ve been witnessing for myself—it does afford a level of peace. As circumstances arise that previously would have made your heart stall (like remembering you owe a couple hundred dollars to the veterinarian for that after-hours visit last month), formulating any sort of a financial plan feels a lot more doable when you aren’t penniless.
Every little measured decision (and drop of Pantene Pro-V, for that matter) culminates in finally feeling confident that if you’ve managed before when times were tough, odds are you will manage again.
A resident of McDonough County, Erin Eddy lives in Macomb with her husband, Mike, their five boys, and two zealous Australian Shepherds. She aspires to uplift readers, penning stories of encouragement and everyday life. Her work has been featured on the influential website Her View From Home, as well as the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul. Contact erineddy7@gmail. com.
