I was shocked, and then put off as I read the white stick-on letters on the door of a rural Goodwill store declaring that no employee can put things aside for shoppers nor can employees shop on the same day as they work and so on. They must really have a problem here, I thought; though it had nothing to do with me, I felt unwelcome. More recently, I encountered the same written rebuke on the front window of another Goodwill store—this time softened by a green and blue background but the “aggressive shopping is prohibited” warning still angrily rang out. Is this a sign of the times?
In two types of stores in the past two weeks when we’ve looked for a local newspaper to buy for the coupons, we were told that they were now being kept behind the counter—at a drugstore we were advised, “Let me know when you’re ready to check out and I’ll ring it up for you.” We couldn’t even touch it before committing to payment. Why? “People are taking the coupons out.”
I don’t know if the poor economy has made people that desperate or if it’s just old-fashioned greed bred by “super-couponing” shows on TV. Either way, taking coupons from a newspaper without purchasing it is shop-lifting; it’s theft. In such difficult times, we need to work together—not steal from each other.
Jesus has promised those who follow him will have their basic needs taken care of by his Father if they seek his kingdom and righteousness first rather than building their own kingdom (Matthew 6:25-34). Yes, we need to do what we are able and one of God’s main sources for provision for those in need is his people but ultimately, God himself is our provision and such acts of “desperation” aren’t needed when we turn to him.
Insights on stretching your money & your outlook—surviving difficult economic times & helping others *from one who’s been there*
My husband and I have faced many lay-offs in the past twenty years; each time we hoped to learn something new so that we could help others in the future. Now is that time. As my we worked to “stay afloat” (the opposite of “going under”!) during lean times, I read every money-saving book and magazine on our library’s shelf--some things I’ve worked out for myself. Now that my husband has a steady job, we’ve continued many of these practices as a part of responsible living. In my posts, I’ll include ideas for different levels of need—stretching dollars when you still have some income and stretching even further (when you think you can’t) when the income is gone in hope of helping you hang on until you get some income. I’ll also address things we learned about attitudes—ours and those around us.
I invite you to comment with your money-saving ideas and accounts of what has worked for you, since community is one of our greatest resources. While I’m writing as an American in the framework of the American economy, I also invite those of you from other nations/peoples to share what you’ve learned about stretching resources since many things can be applied anywhere. (Do know that I will delete any comment that’s derogatory or has foul language.) Please share this blog with others who are stretching and help them keep from “breaking”.