LJWorld.com weblogs In Simple Words
Posted
by Dave Klamet
February 20, 2010 at 11:56 p.m.
Simple Words, Simple Idea, Simple Times
I have made an avocation of noticing the little things that surround us. However there are other things to notice.
I would never expect to hear an idea like this from a marketing consultant, but Randy Murray has suggested, or perhaps invented, a game similar to the "quiet" game you've tried to get your kids to play.
His suggestion is to see how long you can go without spending any money on anything but necessities.
I saw this post and it reminded me of one of my first life lessons as an adult. It was my first Christmas as a newly married enlisted man in the AIr Force. We were living far from our families. My last paycheck before Christmas was enough to pay our bills and buy groceries. There wasn't, however, enough to buy a Christmas tree for our first Christmas. We went so far as to look under the couch cushions for change, but we were well short of the $9 it would take to buy a tree on base.
Now I've heard stories from my parents, aunts, and uncles about their childhood during the Great Depression. My family was middle class and I can't recall wanting for much of anything. This was the first time I can recall not being able to afford something I really wanted. Of course it doesn't compare with what my parent's generation experienced, but it made an impression on me that stays with me still.
I have mixed emotions about Mr. Murray's suggestion, but it seems to me that it might well be worth trying.
I'd also like to mention that I found this post through StumbleUpon. I've found it to be a great way to find great sites about the things I'm most interested in.
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classclown (Class Clown) says…
As you may have noticed by now Dave, you forgot simple minds.
This is a nice blog. Unfortunately, I expect it will be overrun by trolls. You'll know them by their footprints.
It sounds like a nice game. Now to see if I can get my wife to play. : )
tange (anonymous) says…
The simplest approaches really are the best.
How often are new year resolutions of change mired in and undermined by overly complicated strategies.
Unhealthy habits, like smoking, are as effectively addressed with a cold-turkey approach as with the myriad expensive and time extensive "remedies" now routinely marketed to folks who will get to try them all.
I recall an exchange during my college days which unfolded after a rather slender colleague revealed that he once had weighed over 300 pounds. Jaws dropped, and people simply had to know how he had managed such a feat. What wonder diet had produced so overwhelming a result? His reply... he had simply stopped eating "recreationally," eating only when he was hungry and then (slowly) only until he no longer was hungry, and he was transformed.
And, of course, such outcomes are served by the frugal sort of approach you have outlined above.
Simple, simpler... simplicity.
RoeDapple (anonymous) says…
Oh clowny, reverting to name calling? And I thought we had reached an understanding....sigh...
Well now it is obvious you have no class...
Remember what I said? Temper, temper...
♣Free the Blog♣
tange (anonymous) says…
Well, if you can't beat a dead horse, beat the messenger.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Prescription drugs are exempted, salon and beauty products are not.
Oh, no, no, no! My hair is who I am. I have found out though that you cannot get the Walmart stylist to come to the hospital to do your hair. Some silly reason, and why can't you wear mascara when you are having surgery? They were not operating on my eyes.
When I got home I found that my daughter had put new curtains in the bedroom. Now the comforter does not match, but I found one online at Walmart that will match perfectly.
dklamet (Dave Klamet) says…
Adversity, at least within reasonable bounds, builds character and emotional strength.
Parents today, myself included, do too much to protect their kids. At my sons' KU orientation, they spoke of "helicopter" parents that hover over their kids, calling professors, etc.
It is, for me, the most difficult part of being a parent and also, I think, the biggest problem I see in young parents. Protecting them from everything is the easiest, but often not the best, course.
I have always had a strong sense that those of our parent's generation share a stronger bond than we do. I sat in many a waiting room with my mother and I was always struck by how easily she and others of her generation would strike up conversations...and the sense that they were, almost like family, even though they had never met, and often lived in different parts of the country. The Depression and WWII homogenized the country. Diversity is not bad, but sometimes I long for that sense of connection.
As mentioned above, I enlisted in the Air Force when I was young. As Jim Croce said,, "If we ever have a war with brooms, I'm ready." I did not really like it much, but I have come to recognize the the positive impact it has had on me.
RoeDapple (anonymous) says…
Glad your back Irish.
;-)
Katara (anonymous) says…
"Frugality can be sexy. Frugal doesn’t have to mean deprived. And when you get to the point where you prefer water to soda, the library to Amazon, a well-prepared meal at home to one out, you’ll begin to see the freedom and richness it offers."
Good to see others beside my fellow couponers sharing this sentiment.
This fellow gets it.
Randy_Murray (anonymous) says…
Dave - thanks for featuring and commenting on the "Spend Nothing Game." Apparently it's touched a cord with many others as well.
And I am aware of the obvious irony of a marketing professional talking about avoiding spending. But it doesn't have to be a conflict. I try and work with clients and businesses where I'm not set with the task of enticing people to buy things they wouldn't ordinarily want or need. Not everyone has that choice in their careers, but I've been lucky. I find no shame in helping people find things that would make their lives, work, and activities better in some way.
But when it comes to the individuals and our desire for freedom, being aware of what we really want, then shaping our wants and desires so we don't squander our funds, can be both freeing and enjoyable. I plan on publishing and expanding on the Spend Nothing Game over the next few weeks and I'll be incorporating ideas and suggestions from readers. I invite you all to join in!
Thanks,
Randy Murray - http://randymurrayonline.com/