The end of the school year is upon us. I didn’t anticipate (or maybe I forgot?) how many things we can buy at the end of the year, which could make our May budget look very different than some of the quieter months out there (like March….what the heck is any of us doing in March?)
Our school is wonderfully organized and there are activities out the wazoo. Here are a few things we had the option of participation in/paying for:
1.) T-shirts for the My Booster Fun Run
2.) Donations for the My Booster Fun Run
3.) Bowling tickets for the 5th grade field trip
4.) T-shirts for upcoming baseball tournament
5.) Icees for the kids (the Kona truck is coming!)
6.) Scholastic book fair items
7.) Art show paraphernalia (buy gifts with your kids artwork on it!)
8.) Candy grams and wooden roses for spring concert
9.) Ice cream party with the sports team
10.) Outfits for the kindergarten spring garden show (new dress opportunity!)
11.) Reading Phillies tickets for the team outing
12.) Birthday party gifts (apparently, a lot of children (or at least the friends of my children) were born in May)
At a glance, none of these items “break the bank.” There is nothing on this list that cost over $30. In the past, or at least before this challenge, paying for all of these items was a no-brainer. “YES! YES!” we have said to absolutely everything.
In the context of this challenge, I have promised myself to focus on cutting out the excess. But I wasn’t making any changes in my spending when it came to the kids. I didn’t want them to feel a change in their everyday.
However, the children have an awareness of what I’m doing. They see me saying, “No” to various expenses because I’m trying to stick to this challenge I want to detox completely from my normal purchasing pattern to see what I learn.
Well, in noticing this change, the kids are behaving differently, too. They are stopping to ask questions before jumping at the assumption that they need to have everything all the time. We are all building intentionality around the things that we want.
AND THAT FEELS GREAT!
Sometimes, there is a pressure to buy the things that everyone else is buying for their kids. I don’t want my kids to feel “less than.” But as I type this, it feels like a very strange thing to think. How could buying less possibly make my kids feel “less than?” It’s not about what we buy. It’s about confidence and self love. Joy and abundance are feelings that have nothing to do with our spending habits.
Right?
Let me know what you’re learning through this challenge! I would love to hear if you’re changing the way you think or the ways in which you see things. Share your thoughts, share the peace, and namaste every day.
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4 the Love of Peace 