cutting back

We've been trimming down our lifestyles lately. All this economy craziness is (and should be) enough to make a person evaluate how she is managing her finances to see if it's all lining up. So we've been paring down in some areas and doing without a few things we normally indulge in. It burns a little, that subconscious hesitation when normally the card would be rapidly swiped, unhindered by second thoughts. We're not driving around luxury vehicles or anything, but I'll be honest- I'm pretty used to getting what I want... right now.

An interesting change has occurred in me since Operation Miser began: My gratitude for the tiniest of things has blown through the roof. Some people do not have expendable income. They're already living on the bare necessities and they can't cut back because, well, there's nothing to cut back on. A fast food meal is a luxury to them, and they're praying those last few dollars in their wallet will buy enough gas to get them to work, to school to pick up their kids, and to the store for the rest of the week.

I've had a paradigm shift. The 8-year-old in me who's prone to whine when she's forced to admit that she really doesn't need that 4-dollar mocha from Starbuck's has fallen quiet. Perhaps it's because she sees now, in the still silence of pocketed debit and credit cards, that she isn't really going without anything by sipping some home-brewed coffee. There's a little extra simmering in our checking account right now, and with that comes an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. Our gas tank is more than full and our refrigerator is packed with food. Are we going without? Not really. 'Blessed' has taken on a whole new meaning.