Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Perks!

   My husband and I have been married for 21 years!  And for the first time, we've purchased a T.V.!!   Our first television was one my husband had purchased in the Army, a few years before we were married.  When we were just starting out, we didn't have a pot to...well, you know how it goes!  Sacrifice is a mild term used to describe what we did in order for me to stay home and raise our 3 boys.  I will NEVER regret that!!  In fact, for a few years, we didn't even have a t.v.  But I spent a lot of time playing with my kids!  Days at the park.  Learning to swim at the city pool.  Bike rides pulling a 3 year old in a used bike trailer.  I had traded in my roller blades when I had the boys!  Oh, we got creative with our entertainment!  Campfires in the backyard, learning the fine art of perfecting a s'more.  Library days!  We knew every free field trip in town!  We had one car.  It was a 4 door but only 2 worked.  I'm not looking for a pat on the back.  I know so many of you have done the same!  My point is, knowing the difference between what you NEED and what you WANT. 

New TV...Oh my word!!!!

Old TV.  Very utilitarian!  It served it's purpose!
  Early on we took a financial planning class at church.  The difference between needs and wants was the biggest thing I learned.  When I learned to differentiate between a need and a want, I found I didn't really miss the wants.  I had learned what's really important!  Oh, did I do a lot of growing up when my family was young.  And I am all the better for it. 
  I wasn't even that excited about the t.v.  Our last hand me down had finally bit the dust.  The kids were given a small flat screen for their room, but since they already had a hand me down up there, they decided that we should all save up for a bigger one to put in the living room.  We returned the small t.v. and put the gift card in a jar.  The kids shoveled snow and did odd jobs around the neighborhood.  Whenever we had a little extra in the paycheck, it went into the jar!  Super Bowl Sunday was our goal...but it wasn't meant to be.  That's okay.  "Visa" is a four letter word in this house.  Last week we trekked on down to our local big box store.  We heaved 55 inches of LED onto a flat bed.  While standing in line to pay (cash!) a woman walked by and commented , "Nice t.v.!  Lucky!!"  Really?  Cause it wasn't a huge deal to me.  Yeah, it's a fun perk, but I'd rather walk up to the library with my kids, or sit by the fire.  And luck?  Nope.  Sacrifice!  It makes the "perks" a little sweeter.

2 comments:

  1. I agree with you about the TV being a perk. I try not to get sucked into watching ours too often, but family movie night on a screen like that would be wonderful! Enjoy.

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  2. Thanks Liz! The first movie we watched was Secratariat. (great movie if you haven't seen it.) It WAS pretty cool on the big screen!
    BTW, I'm very excited, you are my fist comment! :)

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