We don’t buy school needs and shoes on days when the school year is about to start. We buy them usually on the first quarter of the year when department stores offer big discounts to dispose of old stocks and introduce new arrivals at a higher cost.
With three boys all attending school, we need to strategize in order to save money. I would want my children to have good education thus I always save money for that purpose. Of course, I’ve been a student once and I know the “need” to own new things as well. I don’t want to deprive my boys of that joy and excitement, too.
Last quarter, we shopped for the boys’ new school shoes, rubber shoes and bags. As usual, they were all pretty excited and they couldn’t wait for school to start to show off to their classmates their new stuff.
As I was about to retire for the day, I had a realization.
Life isn’t complicated.
Our decisions are what make things too difficult for us to handle and understand.
We are always presented with options to be happy or not…. to be satisfied or unfulfilled. We could always react indifferently or otherwise.
I have four intelligent and beautiful boys. They all lovingly call me “mama.” They are my reason to work and my constant reminder as well to stop and relax for a while to smell some flowers. They have their unique ways to make me smile and feel loved. And they make my life worth living, without any complications.
So what am I pointing at? Life is too beautiful to think of all the complications and hardships.
We complicate life because we tend to compare and complain.
We sometimes doubt ourselves and cloud our minds with unimportant thoughts. Sometimes too, we can’t accept reality and curse life.
I have four growing boys. We are not rich. We may not have all the resources to buy all our needs and wants but we survive. And we survive because we opt to look at life as beautiful.
First of all, I agree that planning ahead and buying during the times when they are cheaper is the way to go, rather than cramming. Not only do people buy at higher prices, they also end up spending more time. Precious time that cannot be restored.
And I completely agree with how you view life. Life is complicated? Life is easy? It is a state of mind. What makes it complicated is not learning.
That’s a good idea on how to save money.You could also sell the old clothes on ebay and get some money back. It’s nice that you see the joys of having a loving family and even if you are not rich, you can still find ways of offering your children the best.
These are practical tips. Like me, I usually buy Christmas gifts ahead of time when things are at discounted rates. I agree that we often complicate things. We always have a choice on how we approach life and respond to circumstances. Sometimes, we choose the path that makes us toil more.
That’s really a practical tip in terms of buying school products and it lessens the stress you can get from buying them in last minutes. This simple decision in life makes it easier to live. I strongly believe that Life is really not complicated but people are. Choose to be happy and keep surviving! 🙂
I love this line, “Our decisions are what make things too difficult for us to handle and understand.” True indeed and I couldn’t agree more. Life is a series of choice and your challenges will be dealt with according to the decision you make. So, it’s best to think about our decisions well before proceeding to whatever it is that needs to be handled. That way, it becomes less complicated.
I’m a big saver! Always looking for discount and ways to same money. Of course we need to be practical nowadays right? But you are also right about the way we sometimes complicate our lives with unnecessary things. Hehe, sometimes we need to just live simply 😀
We complicate life because we tend to compare and complain.<<—- I absolutely agree to this. I'm not a mom but as a person I am guilty of this. We always compare what others have not realizing the things we already have.
That’s a great way to look at life! Buying school stuff upfront is very smart! It’s just as nice and saves a lot of money. And it’s your family that matters!
Happiness is directly related to satisfaction. And to be satisfied is a choice. Worries and sadness begin when we start comparing ourselves to others.
Wow. 4 boys? :O I do wish that you’ll have a baby girl soon so she’ll be little mommy Berlin. Hihi. Plus, with the supplies, you could recycle the old ones that haven’t been completely used and treat them new ones. It could be a bonding among you and also help nature 🙂
I love that way at looking to life: life is beautiful because I choose it to be. I think the same way, we must choose to live a beautiful life even in ugly times. Best of luck for you and your four little guys.
Beat of luck to us! And thank you 🙂