The more than decade-old watch!

I hate forwarded email, but I got this “maldita moments” email that had me laughing out loud. One entry went:

I once told an officemate who kept on bragging about her new shoes, ” Sale, right?”

Too funny, I thought, but it also made me realize one thing. There’s a lot of stigma associated with being frugal, going for “sale” items, buying in often literally wet wet markets instead of the grocery, using up the ketchup up to the last drop…

Does being wasteful mean the social ladder looks so much shorter from where I stand, I wonder? Were there times when I felt luxurious—and hence good about myself—because I could afford to throw away a pair of shoes that’s still perfectly okay except for some frayed edges? Was I ever embarrassed about wearing clean and decent clothes but a bit dated in style?

Honestly, yes, I can recall feeling those things. But I have since graduated from the dark side of consumerism. And it feels good.

Here’s the realization that showed me how to be frugal and proud. The stuff that we buy, whether these are electronics, appliances, clothes or whatever they are, are ours because we paid for them, true. But ultimately, they are made out of nature’s abundance and are therefore things that we will eventually be held accountable for.

Do you believe in the hereafter? I do. I know that time will come. I know that I will be asked to account for the things I have wasted. And I know that I can use less to live more fully.

So, guess what? I don’t mind smiling while using things until they drop! Sure, I still love to shop for new stuff, but if anything can temper wanton wastefulness, I betcha this is it. Try it and don’t forget to let me know how it goes!

A personal finance expert I was interviewing once challenged me: “Can you go to the mall with only P500 in your wallet?”

Made me think hard. What if I see something needed at home? I am a mommy after all. The household will stand still without my efficient shopping skills. Or so I think.

What if there’s a sale? What if I get hungry? What if I don’t have time tomorrow? What if, what if?

What if these are only justifications for what all women love to do–splurge!

Truth is, I am a spending addict. That’s a weakness I share with my husband. (Hala!) And yes, I constantly have to repeat the following mantra to help me control the urge to splurge when the usual inner debate on “want vs need” no longer works:

1. There will still be a sale tomorrow! – And the next day, and the day after that. China will forever be supplying the world with products that are cheaper than they were yesterday. Divisoria today will be more expensive than Trinoma 10 days from now. That’s how fast goods are moving in this day and age of globalization. Breathe. I won’t lose anything by not buying NOW.
2. Yes, I will last one more day without stocking up on soap! – or toothpaste, or spaghetti, or corned beef. I am so scared of running out of food in the house that I have a tendency to hoard food supply as if Noah’s going to drop by tonight. So, yes, I have a tendency to overdo. Don’t all moms?? (hands on waist) But I found out recently that money in my pocket for at least one more day is better than money in the credit card company’s or the mall’s vaults. Stretch that one day further and that’s more savings. In fact, here’s a very useful tipid tip: stretch the contents of your pantry by being very creative in substituting ingredients instead of rushing to the store when you run out of one or two items in your recipe! (Simotan blues!)
3. One-of-a-kind blouse, shoe or bag? Pure myth! — The design’s so unique, I won’t be able to find this anywhere else, I tell myself. It’s so soft, I want it! The shoes are so ME! How many times have I said this as if I can’t live without the item bagged and clinging to my arm as I exit the shop’s door? Much to my delight after a very successful mantra-repeating exercise that the bags, shoes and clothes I have right right now will do, thank you very much!
4. Trinoma, SM, PowerPlant, Glorietta will still be there tomorrow — if you really want it, if you really need it, it will still be there tomorrow. The mall isn’t going anywhere!
5. I am fabulous the way I am! — Sounds like a narcissist on a self-praising spree? I admit it does, but this helps me focus on a person’s true value. What’s in between the ears and within the rib-cage (mind and heart, ok?) is not diminished or enlarged by clothes, jewelry, shoes, or outward things. So if there’s no budget for it, so what? I am fabulous the way I am.

Do you have some personal mantra you would like to share?