Abundance Measures, Part I

Last year at this time, due in part to the fact that we still own a house in a very depressed market in the city we moved from almost 4 years ago, we implemented Austerity Measures. It was actually a fun challenge. We (sort of) had a plan. We sounded like a European country. It was a Project, and we found that if we set our minds to it, we could buy very little other than food from week to week.

I should say that not buying things is something we're actually pretty good at, maybe too good at in some ways. At times we border on stingy. Spending money within one's means and mindfully is a beautiful thing. Indiscriminately not buying things that one can afford that would actually improve quality of life but not grossly negatively impact the world is just stingy, and does not bespeak an abundance mindset.

Well, after a few months, the particular crisis of a year ago passed, and gradually we let the project go to some extent. My husband and I are in agreement, however, that it would be in our best interest to spend less, to be more in line with our long-term financial goals.

I have decided, in light of my interest in Abundance, to reframe Austerity Measures, and instead call them Abundance Measures. In practical terms, these will be very similar. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I think the two are different sides of the same coin in many ways. Here are some things that I think can be seen as both and why:

• Baking bread. I  started baking bread as a small way to save money, and it turns out that nothing says Abundance like freshly baked bread.
• Going to the library. I have a Masters in Library and Information Science, and have worked in a number of libraries. I hold libraries in very high esteem. I believe it is true that in hard economic times, libraries increase in use (if not in funding...). Not only can you get books there, but you can get music, movies, use of a computer, free children's programming like story hour, free classes for adults, etc. Your local library system allows access to more stuff than you could ever own, plus online catalogs can help you find what you want and have it sent directly to your branch. Talk about richness and abundance!
• Joining groups and seeing friends and family. It is my understanding that in difficult economic times, people find that spending time with other people is inexpensive but highly enriching.

Time to get the kid from preschool. That's it for now!