Thrift stores and Macy's you decide.

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.  Proverbs 12:9

Yesterday I went to several thrift stores here in town (and the next town over...and the next town over) with my little sister.  We had a great time digging through other people's junk and trying to find treasures of our own.  My sister scored a great cashmere sweater (with the tag's on from Nordstrom's, some cute girl's clothes from Greendog, (Macy's house label)) in Oxie but by the time we got to TO we were pretty tired.

We sat tired in my sister's car eating granola bars and drinking water we found in the back. Our eyes instantly caught the shiny gleam of a women driving in the parking lot in a VERY expensive car.   I thought she was casting off donations...but she parked and went right in the thrift store.  We sat there eating our found lunch and admiring her car.  A few minutes later...she came out with a bag in hand and was off.  

Later on our way back to my house we stopped...

yes at the mall.  "We walked into the shiny new stores and poked around."  My sister is pretty frugal so I knew she wasn't buying anything in Macy's and I'm a SAHM so I'm not either.  We walked out of the store empty handed and was behind a women who had a Macy's bag in both hands.  We followed at a distance until she found her car...it was seriously old and beat down.  Oddly enough it seemed we were following her. Down the freeway she went in the same direction we were headed.  We both took the same turn off.   She went up the hill, and so did we...but there was a difference...she pulled off in a driveway of very small condos.

That's when I thought of the verse... Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant...than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

There's nothing wrong with living in a small house.  I live in a small house.  There's nothing wrong with driving a non-status car.  I drive a pretty old mini van.  The problem lies with people trying to pretend they have a certain lifestyle when they really don't.  

I've known people in life who wear the right labels, have the right purses, and drive the right cars but need gas money to even get the same car down the street. And then there's my sister...making over $150,000 a year and buying her clothes from the thrift store.

That verse in Proverbs says that being a nobody...not being pretencions, that's what better. You had enough money where you don't have to do everything yourself.  You have enough money where you won't have to work all the time.    If our modern day...it would be equated to money in the bank...acquiring interest. (Not your 401K...or 201K...they're so small now...I'm talking about a good old fashioned savings account.)   Eventually that money will work for you and they'll be less for you to do.  Someone said you're savings should equal your age.  So 30 should be $30,000...50 should be $50,000 (now that includes 401ks whatever is left.)

Don't feel bad.  I'm preaching to myself included.  We need to be careful with our money.

It's April Fools day and let's not be fools with our money.  Go out and have fun, but be frugal. Do your retail therapy...but see how long you can go without buying anything that's not an essential?  Then take that money...and put it in the bank or give it to the Lord's work. 

Blessings