Lasting Value
Walking through store aisles full of shiny new things, fuels my covetousness. We have a nice home and adequate furnishings, but those dishes are striking and these curtains so lovely. My gift card cannot buy it all. I shake my head, muttering under my breath, that our shabby couch is chic. It works. Sometimes.
Rather than focusing on what I can’t or don’t have, I try to invest money and thoughts into things that last. You know, enduring things; things like food.
Currently, our food bill is higher than our mortgage. Lest you think we eat excessively every day, we were blessed with an unbelievable deal on our ramshackle house. In the past, I succeeded in shaving a few dollars off our grocery spending by shopping sales, but I am a bit apathetic about that these days. I do avoid most convenience food and make our meals from scratch. However, that is not my point. Feeding a family of five, plus a dog and cat, requires money, like it or not.
The need to eat, also, requires a cognitive response. Frequently, throughout the days, weeks, and months that plod by, I ponder what to feed my family. I plan meals, usually. I buy food. I cook food. I clean up food. Repeat this three times a day for life, and you glimpse why joy doesn’t always bubble out in sweet laughter when I hear, “I’m hungry,” or “What’s for dinner?”
Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and don’t mind cooking. It’s just that all this effort can seem for naught. Food doesn’t last. It is consumed all too quickly, or spoils. That is why I feed it to my kids. They will be around for a long time.
Heh. We are in the same position. Our food bill has always been higher than our shelter. (except for maybe right now with paying for two houses… :-/ )
Over the holidays, I cooked large meals for five solid days straight. Somehow, we didn’t wind up with many leftovers either.
Ha! How well I relate . . .I’ve been on a cooking binge, too . . .which only adds to the occasional angst. LIke you, I say “don’t get me wrong . . .I LIKE to cook, I LIKE to bless my family in this way . . .” And every month, I head out to groceries . . .almost as tho a full pantry equals a sense of security.
Hmm. And I’m to look at the birds of the air. They neither clothe themselves, nor store up in barns. The Father feeds them.
So, my security blanket is most certainly from His hand. No less.
Remind me, Lord. You are the source. :)
I hear you– it can get so tiring: the planning, the buying, the cooking. All day every day.
Leslie
Yeah right Renae. I think all mothers would have a story the same as yours. Well, God’s grace is indeed abundant for He has sustained us in times when we thought we just can’t take it anymore. To God be the glory!
Andrea,
Two houses? I hope your food bill doesn’t equal two mortgage payments. :) Although, I’m sure some might. Eating out a lot costs plenty.
What are leftovers? :) I haven’t seen those since our third started eating as much as her older brother.
JaJireh,
Thank you for visiting my blog.
I can’t remember the last time I was on a “cooking binge.” I used to cook massive quantities of food to put in the freezer. That worked really well when my husband worked nights, because our main meal was lunch. Now I have time to get dinner ready, so I haven’t done that in awhile.
And thank you for the reminder that the Lord is my sustainer. Even more than food, I need his grace and peace.
Haha… yes, I agree. How grocery bill is no where near our mortgage, but it seems that $150 a week for 10 people goes way too fast. haha
Thanks for the laugh!!
RYC:
I am so happy we have PSCS3 now too. I can’t wait to learn it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a great day!!
Love, Prayers and Blessings,
Amanda.
http://superangelsblog.com
Oh, you are so lucky to only prepare 3 meals a day! LOL ;)
We’ve got snackers around here.
Just remember, he that endures to the end will be saved. And (this always pops into my head as I am the last to eat…again… ) The last will be first, and the first shall be last.
Thanks for your comment on my blog. Truthfully, I’ve heard so many horror stories I’ve put off template changing for a while! I wish I was better at the nuts and bolts of blogging.
Renae, I actually like cooking. I also enjoy knowing what I put in my children’s bellies. BUT it does get tiring when they get hungry so often and so quickly after each meal. Add to the fact that I brush/floss my little man’s teeth after every meal and snack (yes, I’m a bit of an extremist), the cry, “I’m hungry” sometimes drives me crazy. But it’s a choice I’ve made – to cook from scratch, to feed them healthy stuff, and to keep their teeth clean (yes, I also remind my daughter to brush after every meal). Deep down, I’m really thankful I’m able to do all this for them. It’s my attitude I have to change. Instead of saying ,”I have to..” I try to say, “Hey, I get to….” Have a wonderful new year, friend. Miiko
Marn,
Thankfully, I rarely get to the place that “I can’t take it anymore.” I know that my tasks have value, and if I get a bit desperate my hubby steps in. One thing I don’t have to worry about is whether or not we will eat. If I don’t cook, my husband will make something that is, usually, edible.
Milehimama,
I will remember that! Thanks for the laugh!
Miiko,
Your sweet spirit is refreshing. I can be heard saying, “I get to…,” as well. It is a blessing to serve this family.
We are lucky to get teeth brushed twice a day around here, so you amaze me. :)
Yes, our food bill is more than our mortgage as well. Unfortunately we do eat out quite a bit. I have also burnt out on the “joy of cooking” and unfortunately have given in to my apathy towards the matter. I am hoping to turn this over to God and become more devoted to nuturing my family through healthy meals in the new year.
Jenny
R – thankfully, no it doesn;t equal two payments. Although I think it was in the running this past month with holiday food and company. We don’t eat out regularly, and when we have to (like we’re on a trip) I can manage to feed us all for $20 or less.
I think one of the hardest parts of hoemschooling people pass over is the cooking! We’re making a big lunch too, not just tossing some sandwiches and a couple snacks in a bag. I don’t know about you, but our lunches are usually a full meal, and again for supper. And still we have snack time…
Hey Milehimama – having a blog here means when you change your template, your sidebar(s) go with you. :D
[...] presents Lasting Value posted at Life Nurturing [...]
Jenny,
Be gentle on yourself. Start small and work from there. Make a couple meals a week, and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Or simply, buy more fruit for snacks. Eating healthier doesn’t have to be hard, and you don’t have to follow other people. We eat out occasionally, but, like Andrea, don’t spend much when we do.
Andrea,
Our lunches are usually simple. I like the freedom to make whatever we want though, even it is more work. Eating sandwiches everyday would get old rather quickly.
I never thought about how much less work it would be if my kids ate lunch at school. My niece even eats breakfast at school. But I like to know what my little ones are eating. Even the things I call “unhealthy” at our house, are better than what I remember eating in the school cafeteria.
[...] at Life Nurturing Education wrote this beautiful peice about lasting value Very [...]
I’m happy to present your post as part of the Happy New Year’s Carnival of Family Life which I am hosting 12/31/07 at Mixed Metaphor.net! Hope you’ll drop by the party and join in the festivities — we have many wonderful entries this week!
[...] Ranae: Lasting Value at Life Nurturing Education. Sometimes we have to make hard choices, but keeping what is really [...]
[...] Ranae: Lasting Value at Life Nurturing Education. Sometimes we have to make hard choices, but keeping what is really [...]
[...] Ranae: Lasting Value at Life Nurturing Education. Sometimes we have to make hard choices, but keeping what is really [...]
[...] presents Lasting Value posted at Life Nurturing [...]
We also spend more on food than our mortgage. 4kids two of them teens, a scandinavian family that likes their MEAT and one daughter with an anaphylactic allergy to all dairy = one really high grocery bill.
I think paying for college for my teen boys might actually be cheaper than feeding them! :o)
Tricia,
We don’t even eat that much meat here, but fresh fruits and vegetables are a necessity. It is just part of the cost of love.
I don’t even want to think about when my kids are teenagers. They eat so much already!
[...] presents Lasting Value posted at Life Nurturing [...]
[...] presents Lasting Value posted at Life Nurturing [...]
When my kids were small, I could feed a family of 5 on $50.00 a week. Now, every time that I go to the store, it seems I spend $150-200 to feed 3 of us. I am a vegetarian and my husband and son are meat eaters. Heathy eating shouldn’t cost more but it does.
Patricia,
Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comment.
It does seem cheaper to buy potato chips than apples, but, if you consider health is priceless, maybe apples really are less expensive.
Here is an interesting article on the subject: No Money, No Problem.
[...] through all-things-stylish at Target, I tried to spend my gift card again. I searched for something needed. Something wanted. Something I wouldn’t normally buy. [...]