Doth $afely Trust in Her? ~ A True Story

It all started 15 years ago when her clock broke. Being the new daughter-in-law in the family, I jumped at the chance to bond with my mother-in-law. I quickly informed her that we now have an excuse to go shopping! She looked up and said softly, “Oh, I’m just going to purchase a clock kit and repair it”.

A clock kit? Repair it? Did they make such antiquity and where would you find such things?

I proceeded to casually glance at the subject matter. Definitely not an heirloom or anything else of special interest, it was simply a basic kitchen clock. This was all very interesting…

A few months pass, the clock is fixed for a fraction of the price and now her microwave tray has been broken during a routine cleaning. Once again (the slow learner that I was), I offer my shopping services (for as a newlywed with no children, I was always on call)! However, when I saw her bring out the measuring tape I knew something weird was happening again…

You see, we were on our way to the flea market that weekend in search of treasures and she thought she may find a replacement there. I suppressed a smile and proceeded to think, we would be heading over to Target once the day was done to purchase her a new microwave. But alas, the joke was on me as I witnessed a woman selling cast off parts in a corner booth! Lo and behold, there was the 15 inch, circular glass microwave tray there, and for fifty cents!

These were my first introductions into “real” thriftiness. Young and presumably economical (I clipped coupons…), I still had a lot to learn!

I began to realize that what was happening, was beyond budgeting. I saw that she loved her husband deeply and appreciated his hard work. She understood the difference between “cheap”, good value and quality. Her husband knew that when she walked out of the door, she would be a blessing to their household. He had complete confidence in her management of the family income. There were no arguments about money for they were on the same team!

I hope these incidents will encourage you to be creative when a need presents itself in your home. I realize that many of us do not have the time to go hunting down parts but online shopping such as EBAY and Amazon provide us with quick access to many goods. You will be surprised at what you can do if you put your mind to it.

Consider it a homemaking challenge!

We are always so quick to “replace” in this modern society when there are other useful “r” words such as “repair”, “resourceful”, “reuse”, “recycle” and “repurpose”. This way of living will yield many “rewards”…

“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,
so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
~ Proverbs 31:11-12

"...he confides to her the care of his household. He knows that she is true to all his interests – that she is prudent and wise, neither wasteful nor extravagant. It is one of the essential things in a true wife that her husband shall be able to leave in her hands the management of all domestic affairs, and know that they are safe."

~ Excerpt from The Family by J.R. Miller

What thrifty things have you done in your household? I would love to hear them!