Paying Attention

Today I wanted to talk about something that I have been encountering lately. 


{Paying Attention}


Okay so lately I have been encountering some interesting situations regarding money and paying attention.
 
I discovered that Smart and Final was having a really good deal on ground beef.  The sales flyer indicated that they were selling ground beef for only $1.99 per pound (sold in 5 pound tubes). 


They also had a few items that were priced really good.  (I also needed to do some grocery shopping as we didn't have much left in the house.)  I went to Smart and Final and decided to stock up on the ground beef.  While there I discovered that they were having a really great frozen food deal.  When spending $40.00 worth in certain frozen foods, you receive a $10.00 off coupon for your next shopping endeavor.  I had budgeted $150.00 for grocery shopping there. 


The great thing about Smart and Final is they typically sell things in bulk, resulting in such great prices. 


I shopped and found some really great looking chicken wings sold in huge backs for roughly $15.00, which were included in the frozen food deal.  I decided to buy 3 bags of chicken wings: (2) buffalo chicken flavored and (1) tequila lime flavored.  I have to admit, just looking at the bags alone started making me drool. 


I had a cart full of food that I had mentally added up the totals for.  I was just at $150.00.  Well, wouldn't you know it- we get to the register and the register rang up at $167.00.  There was a line behind me and I figured I must have added wrong while shopping.  The kids and I collected our food, put it in the truck, got home and started putting everything away.  For some reason, I decided to look at the receipt.  Then it dawned on me!  THE EMPLOYEE RANG ME UP FOR 4 BAGS OF WINGS INSTEAD OF THE 3 I HAD PURCHASED!!!  I even went to the freezer to make sure an additional bag of wings didn't magically hop into my cart while shopping.  Sure enough as I knew, there were only 3 bags of wings. 


Now you have to know that I don't live near Smart and Final so driving all the way back and forth would have been a waste of that much money in gas alone.  But I learned a valuable lesson the hard way: PAY ATTENTION WHEN SHOPPING

Next, I got my water bill.  It said I was past due and owed all this in fees in addition to the totals for both months.  Now you have to know, I got really organized with my bills and have made a special effort to pay all the utilities on time, keeping organized with the organizers I bought mentioned in this post.  Typically I just pay whatever the bill says and be done with it.  However, I knew I had already paid this and had kept the receipt in the organizer. 


I ran hobbled with my gimpy foot and back to the organizer to make sure I hadn't accidentally overlooked this and discovered that I had, in fact, paid the bill before it was even due.  It was after hours for the utility company, so I couldn't call them right then.  I did call them the next business day and went over it all with the customer service representative.  Even though I had paid my bill on the 7th of the month through Wal-Mart, the utility company didn't receive it from them for another 7 days.  I explained to her how I had the receipt and she said it didn't matter.  She explained that Wal-Mart is a 3rd party and since I didn't pay it to the utility company directly, I would receive the late fees.  I kindly asked if she could waive it this one time, and I guess she was feeling generous.  She did decide to waive it this one time.  Everything got worked out in the end, but yes I learned a lesson: PAY ATTENTION ON YOUR UTILITY BILLS AND KEEP ORGANIZED


The day before yesterday I checked the bill and received my mortgage statement.  There on my mortgage statement it stated that my previous monthly mortgage payment had not been paid and that I owed about $1,400.00 (for both months) plus late fees.  I was astonished!  I am on a special program currently that is assisting with the mortgage, with me paying a low portion of it.  I am required to send the program my portion and in turn, the program pays my mortgage provider.  I was freaked out!  How on earth was this not paid?  Why was this outstanding?  I have never once been late on my mortgage and here I am late.  Was this going to ding my credit?  Ugggg.  Typically, I don't even open my mortgage statement because it is ALWAYS the same amount due.  Upon extreme investigation with the program and with my mortgage company, it was discovered that it was paid and I had nothing to worry about.  But had I not raised a stink and had them investigate it, it would have been an issue.  Again learning a lesson: PAY ATTENTION AND OPEN ALL YOUR BILLS, PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO EVERY LINE ITEM

In Simple Things, Let There Be Joy and Contentment

What kind of person are you?  No, this is not a trick question.  I am seriously asking a simple question.  Okay, so maybe it isn't that simple.  There could be so many different answers to a "simple" question like that right? 


Are you a simple person? 


Or are you complex?


Do you have to have "things" to make you happy?  Or are you easily content with simple things? 


I was thinking about that today.  I think it is so funny how society thrives on the things they are able to buy and have.  Yes, we all can get caught up in that kind of thinking.  It isn't that hard. 


Lately, it keeps coming to my mind how I am easily joyed by the little things. 


This morning I was in soooo much pain after a chiropractor appointment last night.  I am talking, couldn't even get out of bed kind of pain.  It hurt to move anything.  I started tearing up.  I was feeling miserable.  Do I get ready for work?  Do I call in? 


I was just feeling so crappy and then decided I should get ready.  However, it dawned on me that it was school picture day and I should better focus on making my kids look nice.  I had them hurry and get dressed while I did their hair and made sure they looked nice. 


I looked at both of them and realized they were both looking so dang nice! 


Funniest part? Both were dressed in thrift store clothing and looking great!  They chose the outfits themselves. 

 

It got me thinking how simple things for us bring joy. We are more than happy and content with thrift store clothing. In fact, we prefer them. Cheaper, name brand, and better. 

We are happy cooking at home and eating. We 

are content eating the foods we can find on sale. Eating out isn't what makes us happy. I mean granted, yes the occasion of eating out is nice and fun. 

But I see too often families with kids who are ungrateful with foods their parents make, resulting in fits over going out to eat. They whine. They cry. They refuse to eat. 

Parents give in and take them where they want all the time. 

However, for us we are happy and content eating at home. 

It really is the little things.