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!