Old habits die hard. I used to measure every penny that I spent because it was necessary to do so. Now I continue to do so simply because it just feels right. When I was a child after my father died our family lived on a very strict budget. There was little room for extravagances. We wasted nothing. Even the containers inside which our purchases were packaged became valuable. We used the paper bags to cover our school books, as drop cloths when we painted, and to hold trash. I had an entire set of doll furniture fashioned from boxes, cans, and scraps of cloth. Our toys were stored inside cartons that once held fruit and vegetables. Our mother made a big roast on Sunday and then proceeded to use the leftovers to fashion at least two more meals during the week. Soft drinks and sweets were only in our home for parties and special occasions. We repaired and repurposed everything that we owned until it literally fell apart from use and age.
My mother loved sales. We found all of our clothing at reduced prices. We didn’t always get the exact color or style that we wanted but she managed to find good values that lasted a very long time. My grandmother often later retrieved our outgrown couture to use for scrap quilts. The only items for which Mama consistently paid top dollar were our shoes. As babies we wore either Stride Rite, Buster Brown, or Red Goose high tops. Once we were sure footed she only took us to stores where a salesperson was highly trained in the art of fitting shoes. It would take hours to get just the right ones for each of our feet and the cost was always so high that I almost fainted at the idea of my mother spending so much for something that would be worn out and all but useless in only a few months. Mama always commented that we would have good feet when we were finally fully grown and that we would thank her one day. She used to cringe when I became independent and bought styles that were the fad rather than those that were well made and correct for the specifics of my feet. Continue reading “Let’s Make a Deal”
All It Takes Is A Little Love 