Spend Less/Live Better over Christmas

Do I need it? Or do I want it?

Ah Christmas…tis the season to feel jolly… overwhelmed.

The irony of starting this blog series smack bang in the middle of the greatest consumer high-jack of the year is not lost on me.  As the developed world goes crazy with their credit cards, we are the target of more advertising immersion than at any other time of the year.

What do the marketing companies use to pressure us into purchasing?  They feed us the line that we ‘need’ to buy what is on offer.

The reality is, in my everyday world I actually ‘need’ very little.  One could argue that I ‘need’ food, however there is enough in my pantry at any given point to last a good while.  Maybe I ‘need’ petrol, but then I do have the option of staying home today or car-pooling to get the kids to school.

Because, in reality, we don’t ‘need’ for much, this suggestion has become a tool to make us feel like we are obligated to purchase, even when the reverse may be true.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with wanting something…we work hard for our money and have every right to spend it how we see fit, however here is the question I would challenge you to ask yourself this week as we shop this Christmas and holiday season.

Do I need it? Or do I want it?

To want something gives me the power of choice.  I am very clear that I will not fall over without it, life will go on and the world will continue turning regardless of my choice to purchase this thing or not.  I am in control.  Ultimately I can purchase or walk away without fear of reprisal.

This line of thinking makes the things that I do want to spend my money on feel like real treats, not a desperate attempt to make myself a ‘whole person’.

To suggest that you cannot live without the purchase robs the joy and the excitement out of the gift.  It’s not a bonus or extra, added to your world for fun.  It’s simply going to plug the gap and tide you over for another day, until you stumble across the next thing that you so desperately ‘need’.

May I suggest that this Christmas, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is a clear understanding of the difference between needs and wants.  We should not be slaves to consumer purchases, we should be the masters of them.

As I said to my daughter recently, “Honey, it’s OK to want an ipod…as long as we are all very clear that you are not going to die without one.”

Let’s enjoy giving and receiving the things that we want this Christmas, while being very grateful that we indeed need very little.

Happy shopping

Spend less/Live better

I am not usually subversive.  I don’t generally follow radical theories or outrageous schools of thought, but I think I may have stumbled across an idea on my way down to the vege garden that could radically change the way you see your world.

Spend less/Live better

There…I said it!

This year, for a light-hearted observance of Lent, I gave up excessive consumer spending.  It was an interesting experiment, which at times felt like I had checked myself into rehab a la Lindsey Lohan and was attempting to give up some very powerful and addictive drug.

In fact, if you think about it on those terms, consumerism is pushed at us. We’re encouraged to feed our addictions almost constantly with the resulting downside of consumer debt, over-attachment to material possessions and ultimately an overwhelming sense of boredom.

We are consistently fed the line that if we spend more, we will be able to look better, feel better and live better.  In a perfect Lotto-winning world, we may actually be able to put this theory to the test without consequence, however, I don’t know about you but I don’t live in a world of endless funds.

Let’s be clear.  I am not a Birkenstock-lover or kaftan wearing greenie (although I do respect both of those fashion choices) I’m simply an adult, a wife, mother, business woman, artist and home-maker who has to live on a budget like most of the real world.

This blog is not about re-using the tea bags or making jandals from car tyres. It’s a forum to share practical and philosophical ideas; real world ideas that we can all embrace and integrate into our everyday choices.

It’s not about being stingy or stupid; my opinion on sweat-shops will become clear. It’s about being wise and mindful with the money we do have. In the long run, sometimes spending less can mean a greater level of investment up-front.

I whole-heatedly support charitable work (I love and endorse the work of World Vision), but I am not talking about fixing all the problems of the universe in one hit. I am simply exploring the idea that, within our physical worlds and our ordinary budgets, we can do better.

I believe we can quell the dissatisfaction of what we don’t have, be creative with what we do have and become more appreciative of where we are at. We can change both our environments and our attitudes at the same time and learn to live gratefully, graciously and gregariously in the lives that we are creating for ourselves.

I’m sure a multinational corporation would put me straight onto a hit-list if they read this….but frankly, I don’t give a flying fridge magnet!

Join me on a journey of excessive consumer anarchy. I’m convinced that we can all spend less and live better!

Conspiracy theories galore…

I have a theory.  I reckon that the inventors of exfoliating body wash are also the inventors of fabric softener.

Hear me out people…when I was a kid there was no such thing as either of these products and we didn’t really see the need for them either.  The interesting thing was that when my Mum washed our towels in plain old soap and hung them on the line to dry, they turned out like crunchy leaves, folded over the washing line and threatening to snap when folded.  One lap round the house with that puppy wrapped around you and wham…you were minus a layer or two of skin! Hence, no need for exfoliator..see?

I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist.  When a strange occurance happens, I often ask myself ‘who is likely to benefit from this’? The question of ‘who benefits’ also raises the question of motivation…always an interesting one and in light of the recent ‘end of the world’ religious hoax it’s one that I have been pondering.

The obvious accusation is that money was the motivating factor however you can call me naïve but I don’t really believe that Harold Camping was actually in this for the money.  I think the payoff was a far more valuable commodity than cold hard cash – namely, exclusivity.  You only had to see his face before to realise that this man genuinely believed that he was the holder of some powerful and exclusive information and his deflated and confused expression afterwards shows how wrong he was.

How intoxicating, to feel like the chosen vessel, the man for the hour, the holder of the truth.  Trouble is, we all know someone who thinks they belong to the ‘one true church’, the single Christian denomination that has a monopoly on some facet of the truth.  How we love to feel exclusive, better than, superior to, and how we love to look down from our sheltered towers to the poor minions below that do not share the same views.

Do I believe in absolute truth? Absolutely.  Do I believe that any one of us in this life can fully understand all of that truth? I do not.

What I do know is that as followers of Christ we are all on a journey, we are able to converse with each other, to encourage and to be accountable.  Let’s not make wild claims that polarise the community then change them to spiritual happenings once they have not worked out for us.  Let’s not be weird or fringy or nutty but be normal people that live and love with a supernatural God.  Peculiar – yes, implausible – no.

Sorry folks, no conspiracy this time but we definitely have an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

Songs can make a difference…

My new friend Tenille is a song-writer’s dream come true.  Her first comments to me regarding my latest album went something like this…I’ve listened to it from one end to the other, I’ve read all the lyrics and thought about the stories.  They have been such an encouragement to me.

One of the strongest inspirations I have for writing music is that I believe that the story that God has woven through my life is one that resonates through the lives of so many who need hope and inspiration.

Strength in weakness, beauty in tears, bittersweet moments in the midst of heartbreak, learning to turn a fear-filled stranglehold on a difficult day into a contented embrace…to quote a never-ending daytime soap, these are the days of our lives!

All too often we are expected to have it all together, to maintain some kind of  death-grip on perfection which only ends up eating us up inside as we realise that today may not only be a difficult one but it may be what is potentially even more difficult than a crisis…ordinary.

The challenge of the ordinary, the battle of the unexpected, these are the shade that makes the light seem even brighter in the beautiful moments.

If God, who is perfect, created rainy days, who are we to complain?  Seasons, shades of colour, day and night, all working together to create a palate of balance that only highlights the beauty at other end of the spectrum.

Paul said in Romans that ‘Tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character and proven character, hope and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Wise words indeed.

So I am truly delighted that the stories of perseverance and survival of my own life have been able to inspire others to dig deep and hold on a little longer…it really does make the whole thing worthwhile.

If you have a testimony of one of my songs that had made an impact in your world, please feel free to comment below, I am looking for some short stories to provide to Parachute to encourage those that work with me in releasing and recording songs of hope… just to remind us all that words, melodies and chords can join together with God’s inspiration and actually transcend the ordinary.

Songs can make a difference…

What makes a hero?

Watching the news coverage of the tragic events unfolding in Christchurch in the last fortnight I was struck by some arresting images that have really got me thinking.

I saw young men jumping into rubble and climbing into unstable buildings and life-threatening situations in the moments immediately after the big quake on Feb 22nd, helping people escape as walls fell around them. I saw them pulling rocks and bricks off cars in an attempt to free total strangers who were trapped inside and helping the injured and traumatized down the street to relative safety.

It seems ironic to me that in a city, that like so many others, often struggles with young men mixing speed, alcohol and bravado and exhibiting risky behaviour, the same ability to act quickly without considering personal safety or consequence made these young men heroes on the day.

Is it possible that, rather than being ‘bad’ these young men are actually ‘bored’?

As we increase the time spent between adolescence and adulthood (the so-called ‘kidult’ phase) have we left an entire generation without any cause to fight for? Without healthy risks to take that would genuinely make a difference in the world?

Is this physiological stage whereby the body is fighting fit and ready to take on the world while the frontal lobe of the brain is not yet fully formed and able to completely predict the consequences of our behaviour a human design flaw? A functional developmental error overlooked by the Creator?

Maybe this generation spends a lot of time fighting because we have given them nothing to genuinely fight for. There is an old saying that ‘Idle hands are the devil’s tools’ and I think there may be some truth in that.

So, if the young bring the gift of youth, enthusiasm and impetuosity, the older generation can add wisdom and maturity and together get things done.

The Student Volunteer Army has rallied from the University of Canterbury and I am heartened to see a massive force of young people taking positive action. As New Zealanders I believe we will benefit hugely in the future as these same people who have had cause to look outside of themselves and lend a hand, become our future leaders and decision makers.

Churches and youth groups all over the country have risen to the occasion and young people are putting up their hands to fight for a cause worth fighting for and take risks that benefit both the rescued and rescuer with a sense of achievement and personal pride.

So…I ask you…when this is finally over, what can we offer these amazing citizens of New Zealand to keep their hands busy and make the most of their God-given riskiness??

‘Lent’ me your ears…

Ladies and gentlemen, I am taking a holiday from consumer spending.  Yes, you heard me right, extraneous handing over of monies in exchange for goods and services has come to a screaming halt for the next 40 days and so far it’s going OK.

The season of Lent is upon us and I have chosen to partake of the pre-Easter tradition for personal as well as community reasons.  Our church, although modern, follows the traditional church calendar, not in an ‘old-school beat yourself up’ kind of way but in a ‘let’s not throw out the baby with the 21st century bathwater’ kind of way and to tell the truth, I like it.

It feels good to be a part of something that has been observed for centuries and allows us to take a break from some part of our modern lives, to take up the challenge of continuing life without something that we may otherwise rely on.

I am still working on the rules of engagement and am happy to take suggestions on how this should work.  So far I have decided that I can only spend money at the supermarket and even then I am only spending within a budget and within reason.  No mags, no make-up, no handy looking plastic containers that call to me from the shelves.

My coffees have been in take-out cups from home or made for me by friends who know the way to my heart, bills are still paid and petrol is purchased but no ’3 chocolate bars for $3 specials’ for me no matter how many times the man at the gas station tries to tempt me.  Get thee behind me Mr Caltex…I am not interested!

So why have I chosen this ‘fast’ I can hear you ask?  Well there are a variety of reasons.  I am keen for a challenge and interested to see if I can actually make this work, I question whether I actually need anything else when I have so much ‘stuff’ in my world already.  I wonder if we are addicted to the thrill of the consumer purchase and I am happy to see how I feel at the end of Lent.

I am also enjoying using what I have and discovering the joy of using a bottle of moisturiser right up until every last drop is gone rather than buying a new one when the first one is still quarter full.

Will this make me more spiritual?  I don’t know, but I think I will be  lighter of living and more disciplined in how I use the resources I am so blessed to have.

Oh, and I may have a little change in my pocket going ching a ling a ling.  Let’s call it a seasonal bonus.