This world disgusts me. Absolutely disgusts me. How much do we spend of coffee? Yes, I drink coffee every morning. I make coffee at home. Yes, I bought Starbucks once a few months ago ago at Wal-Mart in a 4-pack and I'm starting to feel the guilt about that. How much more can we possibly spend on coffee? A simple drink that "tastes good." I'm a coffee-drinker, too, and I buy coffee at stores on occasion, more times than not, for a dollar. I added it up. It was more than I'm willing to say. I think I'm done doing that. But just yesterday, I was so tempted to do it again. And I have many times even when I know that it adds up. Man, I like coffee, along with a lot of things.. "It's only a dollar..." But even more over-the-top than that, people every day, and sometimes twice a day, spend $5, $6, $7, and even more on one coffee. How much of that is really necessary? Based on some sites, you can feed a child for only 25 cents a day. With your ONE day's Starbucks (one visit) coffee money, you could feed 28 children for that day. Or one child for an entire MONTH. That's saving a life. How many children and even adults die of hunger every day? I think I've decided coffee will only be made at home for me, and I will take that money and donate it to someone who's dying for even a dollar's worth of food. And on occasion, I might splurge and have that coffee, or go out to dinner, but mainly just understand what I'm spending money on. It's not that I'm not allowed to spend money and that's it's wrong to spend money on ourselves- it's just once you really understand the bigger picture, our things pale in comparison and I don't want to spend anywhere near as much money on me. Another thing, how much do we spend on bras? Victoria's Secret- $60 for a bra, on average, but usually more. Is that really necessary? The most expensive bra I've ever boughten is $10, and it's the one I have now that will probably last me a while. It's works just fine. Maybe the $5 bras don't last more than a couple months (I would know), but a $10 is just fine. Or an expensive one on sale. But $60 for a bra is just ridiculous. Why don't you take the extra $50 and feed one child for about 60% of the year? Or feed 200 children for one day? Or feed one family for about 61 days? Or something else. Something that you're passionate about. We need the passionate people to help make what they're passionate about happen. Do something. Take that money and use it right here. I'm personally called to missions in the US, but I still am concerned and would love to do missions trips and ministry works out of the US. I'm donating most of my money (as low as a 14-year-old's "income" is) right now to give basic necessities to homeless people in a nearby large city, with much poverty, in December. Also, it's more than just Starbucks and Victoria's Secret...much more actually. Those were just two of the things that popped into my mind. There's so much we spend money on that's not necessary at all. I'm not a saint. I definitely spend money on things I don't need to. I look at my old receipts, and over the past 6 months or so, I've spend over $10 on eyeliner- just eyeliner. I spend lots of money on books; yes, I buy them used, but still, that adds up. I have a lot of books in my room. It seems so small at the time- the price I mean- but I counted my books- and I have to say I have 163 books. That's a lot. Yes, I buy them for 1/10 or less of the normal price, but if every book was only dollar (some were more, some less) that's nearly 200. I love to read, and it's okay to have books, but the thing is, I'm just saying I can clearly see where I spend money on things. I'm not saying I can't buy books, but I just need to be conscience of where I do spend money to even greater appreciate what I have, therefore encouraging myself to give more generously and appreciating what I do have. It's okay to spend money on things. I'm going to a concert for Christmas/birthday/. I have thought about if that was wrong of me. To spend money to go states away to see a singer. The trip totalling to between $650-$800. First of all, the only concert I have ever been to was half an hour away and I won the tickets on the radio. There's been concerts of singers that I've wanted to go to, but I'm not spending $100 on tickets, and it turns out, I didn't really want to see them that bad, because I can't even remember which concerts I looked into. Well, I'm going to a concert next month with $28 tickets, we're taking the cheapest possible way to get there, and we're staying for less than 24 hours. We can spend money on ourselves, but still be conscience not to spend excessively and ridiculously. But, I think next year, I'm going to ask for money, and sponsor multiple children, or donate it to an inner city, or use it for the ministry things that I have in mind to do- big dreams can be a reality. In addition, possibly to asking for a few things for myself. Because, as I'm reiterating, that's not wrong in itself. When we don't appreciate it, and when we don't listen to God and follow His directions on where He needs us to give out money, then we are crossing the line into something wrong. I need you to understand that I'm not saying we can't spend money. I look back at my purchases and sometimes I'm disappointed with myself of all the excess money and sometimes I'm like, "That's okay." Pretty much all of my CDs are burned from other people's CDs or bought pre-owned. My books, like I said, are very inexpensive, and even some were bought new. But I also spend money on things I regret. I buy silly impulsive things that I don't really need. I remember more the things I buy inexpensive than I buy new honestly. Well, obviously there are things bought new that I remember well and use often. But I still wear all of my earrings that were bought at thrift store, but I still often wear the ones bought new. But, I'm more proud of myself for cutting spending were I can, and actually I love thrift stores and find the best stuff there. That's the way I've done things and I like it that way. I am continually looking for more ways to be able to spend less on me and bless others. That doesn't mean I have to live in poverty, but it's honestly most always possible to spend less on me. Once you know what's really going on around you, what you're passionate about, and how much one person can do, the things you want start to fade away, and you become more concerned with other people than yourself. We have so much more than we need; we are so blessed; and I want to continue to always finds way to give more to others, and give less to myself, because I have plenty.
Thinking about all of this- expensive coffee, upscale bras, and the extravagant spending that we all do, doesn't seem to matter much anymore, now does it?