Found a super find for us! Super Happy

[imagine]

Okay, the more it thought about how I shop. I felt more out there then was totally comfortable I felt. You see I have what seems to be a idea that people tend to find strange and I get made fun off sometimes for it. So it is hard to type but here it goes.

I'll start with a story before getting to the nuts and bolts, if I may.

When Buddy was younger. He had a Dinotpoia dinosaur that he loved. One day while playing he said the dinosaur wanted a brother. Store hadn't had these dinosaurs for quite a while. I said my usual stock answer "Keep it in mind and keep an eye out" Two years later, I had forgotten about the dinosaur brother but Buddy apparently had not. He found a bag of stuffed animals at a garage sale and just had to have them. I thought he was nuts but it was his money. When he got home he pulled his old dinotopia dinosuar out from under his pillow and pulled out a"new" dinotopia dinosaur out from the bag. What he said next took my breath away. He said to the "new" brother dinoptia dinosaur "We have waited a very long time for you."

That story illustrates how/why I shop the way I do. I believe that the things we are meant to have will be ours. I just need to be patient and wait while "keeping in mind and keeping an eye out".

Do I make lists? Sometimes.

I make a list of groceries and things I have to remember not to leave the store without or I will have to head back and get them. I won't shop without my grocery list even if it means going back home to get it. I will add things to my list if I find a good price/sale for something that is a favorite staple of ours (like a favorite toothpaste or oatmeal bath) sometimes I will add a favorite treat if it is one sale for a good price but I won't do this everytime

I make a list of things that we need or things we have. Like Spring and summer clothes. After looking though what we have I make a list of the things we have with blanks to fill in for the minimum we need. I do this to help keep in mind what we have and what we need. Easter dress is on that list. So I will start now keeping a eye out for the one that feels right.

Now for wants I do not make lists.
I do this because if you can keep the want in your mind then it is truly a want if you forget about it then it was a passing fantasy or fad, a temporary want.
Buddy remembered the dinosaur brother for two years because it was a desire, a true want of his. He "kept it in mind and kept a look out for it" His patience and diligence were rewarded. He doesn't remember some wants that he wanted that ended up being temporary wants. They just slipped out of this mind the desire went away. If he had made a list of this want he might have been reminded of this temporary want and made it a desire again. It is easier to just let the temporary wants slip your mind.

How do I keep from bring home all the neat things and super deals at the store/thrift store/garage?
I believe that they were not all destined to be mine. If I take them (buy them) when they aren't mine I'm robbing someone else of their desire/want/need being fulfilled. I am robbing them of their joy.

So when we head to the thrift store or a garage sale or a regular store etc.. I say a prayer "Lord, please help us find the things that were meant to be ours and help us to leave the things at were not meant to be ours"

Sometimes at the store we find things that we want but we didn't know we wanted, it wasn't in our mind already with an eye out. This happens mainly to the children but sometime to hubby or me.

When this happens we say we have to leave it there to think about it. If we still desire for it later we can go back. Little Miss once asked "What if it isn't there anymore when I come back?" Our reply is "Then it wasn't meant to (destined to) be yours" Lots of times it is still there when we head back, sometime it isn't. Little Miss once really still wanted something so we headed back and it was gone. She was sad. A few days later she found the same thing but in better condition at a better price. She isn't so sad anymore if she heads back and finds out something wasn't meant to be hers. She just "keeps it in mind and keeps and eye out"

There is my story typed out to read. There I am beared to all.

[HappyMama]

I do the same , and believe that things that are destined for me will be.. It has always worked for me.

I don't believe anyone would ever laugh at the blessings, wonderful finds or the way you shop.

Beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder, one mans junk is another mans treasures and what one family no longer needs in making room for more in their lives or their needs another can always use.

Everyone is at different stages of their lives, needs, children's ages, family goals and the joy of passing things on , receiving new is a gift. Gifts or blessings, deals , wonderful finds always bring joy to the giver and receiver. If you pass things on more will come into your life as you finally have the room for a new craft, hobby, need or want.

I have always called the circle of giving a blessing when giving or receiving. It is a good way to help yourself, help others, bless someone, recycle, give more room in your home, or expand your world. I have an art studio, I put about it in the no TV thread so I won't repeat here but I love sharing, giving,making new things out of old, passing things on and getting new.

Continue shopping and living the way that bests suites you and your families needs lives and budget. If that works for you then enjoy and continue onward with Joy and happiness. Maybe someone will be blessed by something you pass on, buy or find and the circle continues.

Each day things are destined for the attic, garage, dump if each person could take a few things their family never uses anymore and make room in their lives for a need or want, the need will then be filled in the void as there is now room for it. So many needs and wants are fulfilled this way it is a beautiful sight . I started a food pantry at my Church ( in another state ) many years ago, and was a member of a service organization that helped those in need so many times I saw the tears in peoples eyes when things were donated and we thought of certain individuals and they would say :" I need that exact thing , thank- you ". Made my day every time.

Whether the deal is found in a store, thrift store, garage sale, consignment, mega store or the curb if your family needs or wants it , then what a wonderful day! Gifts, bargains and whatever are blessings if they can be used, will be used, enjoyed and fill a need or want.

Be happy with your deals, enjoy finding them, share with others, pass on your unwanted and help the circle continue.

[imagine]

I don't believe anyone would ever laugh at the blessings, wonderful finds or the way you shop.

I don't think anyone would laugh at my blessings,wonderful finds. I do know that they laugh at my way of shopping. It has happened face to face quite a bit. They don't understand it or feel uncomfortable with it or think it is just nuts so they laugh. That is why I was feeling a bit vulnerable sharing but I decided to share because I was asked to.

[HappyMama]

I don't think anyone would laugh at my blessings,wonderful finds. I do know that they laugh at my way of shopping. It has happened face to face quite a bit. They don't understand it or feel uncomfortable with it or think it is just nuts so they laugh. That is why I was feeling a bit vulnerable sharing but I decided to share because I was asked to.

Well sorry that happened to you. Blessings. I have had many laugh at mine at times, in a good fun way they are always amazed at the deals I get. The ones who would be mean wouldn't quite bother me as well, use to but now I just bless them and move on life is too precious to me and I have been hurt too many times I don't need mean in my life. If someone needs I try to help them by giving, blessings and helping when I can. Hope you can enjoy your bargains, shopping and not let others bother you.

[brennasmom]

Nice score!

[erinalexmom]

Imagine, I truly appreciate your answer it was so thoughtful and really helps me with the whole idea of this. We used to honestly have alot of $. I am a nurse and my husband worked in a very good factory job. His job was so good that I was able to stay home. I always liked rummage sales and thrift stores but we always had pretty much everything we wanted. I only shopped that way for "fun". When my dh lost his job our whole family dynamic changed. I was working alot and my dh was unemployed/underemployed. Boy was I depressed!
Dh just got a job and it is a good one but still alot less than what he used to make. So, now we still "have" to shop the way you do, in order to make ends meet. For example, my daughter wants a desk for her room. She is quite the artist and it is her favorite pasttime. It will also be nice because I have art supplies all over my house! We found a beautiful desk that would be perfect for her room. Exactly what I wanted but it was $80 at the Goodwill!!! (I thought they were supposed to be cheaper!) So we had to walk away. Before I would have just got it and not given it a second thought. I am waiting till I am in that town again and will stop by plus I keep my eye out everywhere I go.
But I am desperatly trying to elimnate clutter from my life and I tend to think "its only a quarter" but the way we lived before was a sin almost because we never really appreciated anything we had. So, I am trying to let things go in order to make room in my life for things and also in order to help others get things they might need. It doesnt do anyone any good in my basement.
I have to say I am happy to have a little less because I am much more grateful for the blessings I have.

[imagine]

Imagine, I truly appreciate your answer it was so thoughtful and really helps me with the whole idea of this. We used to honestly have alot of $. I am a nurse and my husband worked in a very good factory job. His job was so good that I was able to stay home. I always liked rummage sales and thrift stores but we always had pretty much everything we wanted. I only shopped that way for "fun". When my dh lost his job our whole family dynamic changed. I was working alot and my dh was unemployed/underemployed. Boy was I depressed!
Dh just got a job and it is a good one but still alot less than what he used to make. So, now we still "have" to shop the way you do, in order to make ends meet. For example, my daughter wants a desk for her room. She is quite the artist and it is her favorite pasttime. It will also be nice because I have art supplies all over my house! We found a beautiful desk that would be perfect for her room. Exactly what I wanted but it was $80 at the Goodwill!!! (I thought they were supposed to be cheaper!) So we had to walk away. Before I would have just got it and not given it a second thought. I am waiting till I am in that town again and will stop by plus I keep my eye out everywhere I go.
But I am desperatly trying to elimnate clutter from my life and I tend to think "its only a quarter" but the way we lived before was a sin almost because we never really appreciated anything we had. So, I am trying to let things go in order to make room in my life for things and also in order to help others get things they might need. It doesnt do anyone any good in my basement.
I have to say I am happy to have a little less because I am much more grateful for the blessings I have.

Thanks for sharing your story.

I understand your story
Here is our story:
We cut our income by more than half when Hubby decided to change jobs so he could be home more. ( he was a bit tired of thinking the children only had pj's as that is all he ever saw them in if he saw them that day). We didn't think it would be hard but I must admit there was bit of a learning curve that we didn't expect. We racked up some debt during that time to prove it. Now 6 years later we have got the hang of it and are fixing the debt thing. Life is good.

[erinalexmom]

Thanks Imagine. We are still a little on the learning curve...for example: I am learning how to cook from scratch now to save $ in the long run (and the health thing too) so I would say I am on the "learning curve" for some things. Also my dh is more reluctant to jump on the bandwagon but he is slowly coming around to my way of thinking. I have always thought God keeps throwing a lesson in your path until you decide to learn it