We all know the feeling we get from planning a shopping trip to the mall. Usually we have something in mind that we are looking for ... a new pair of sneakers ... a dress for a special occasion ... new clothing for the upcoming season. Speaking from a woman's point of view, I think I can safely say that most women love shopping. Marisa is no exception. She would happily go out to shop every week-end if I were willing to take her, but since I have been teaching her to budget herself for the month, she has cut back a bit. Recently, she approached me to ask if we could go to the mall. She had cash in her wallet but knew it wouldn't be enough to cover her shopping excursion. I was pleasantly surprised when she asked how much money she had left in her account for the month.
I pulled out the notebook where I have all her monthly expenses recorded and we checked the balance.
Marisa didn't seem to understand that the coupons were simply a way to get her in the store, even though I had explained this to her numerous times. I mentioned it again, but she seemed to disregard what I said. She clearly had her own agenda.
There were 5 stores Marisa was planning to look through with very particular ideas of what she wanted to purchase. To be perfectly honest, once she explained what she was going to shop for, I actually felt it made sense to try to use the coupons. For example, she wanted more collared shirts for work, but needed the short sleeve version since the weather was warming up. She had a coupon for the store she was hoping to find this item at. She wanted shoes for the school prom and was planning to check out another store where she had a coupon. Among other items on her list, it all seemed to make sense. We went from one store to another but on this particular day, Marisa was not finding a single item that she felt was right for her. At this point, I was expecting her to start getting frustrated and angry. Odd as it seemed to me, but pleasantly surprised by her calm way of handling one disappointment after another, this didn't happen. After two hours at the mall Marisa had had it.
When we arrived home, Marisa took her wallet out of her bag. She opened it to remove the collection of coupons she was storing and tossed them in the garbage.
I thought about all the times I had been telling Marisa to space her shopping trips throughout the month, so she would have enough money to last, not just for purchases in stores but for recreational activities like movies or lunch dates. I thought about all the times I had told her that coupons are just a way to get you in to the store, and that there will always be more coupons. Then I realized that something was clearly happening. Marisa was thinking things through. She was learning to delay her gratification. She was learning to make wise choices. She was becoming a wise shopper. My mini lectures were not wasted on her. She had been listening all along. She was ... growing up!
"Well, that's a good point!" I replied. "Let's take a look!"
I pulled out the notebook where I have all her monthly expenses recorded and we checked the balance.
"It appears that you have about $150 left for this month, but we're not even halfway through the month. You will need to save some of this money for unexpected expenses. What do you need?" I asked. I then noticed Marisa had a collection of coupons in her hand for various stores.
"I have coupons that are going to expire, so I have to use them this week-end," she answered.
Marisa didn't seem to understand that the coupons were simply a way to get her in the store, even though I had explained this to her numerous times. I mentioned it again, but she seemed to disregard what I said. She clearly had her own agenda.
There were 5 stores Marisa was planning to look through with very particular ideas of what she wanted to purchase. To be perfectly honest, once she explained what she was going to shop for, I actually felt it made sense to try to use the coupons. For example, she wanted more collared shirts for work, but needed the short sleeve version since the weather was warming up. She had a coupon for the store she was hoping to find this item at. She wanted shoes for the school prom and was planning to check out another store where she had a coupon. Among other items on her list, it all seemed to make sense. We went from one store to another but on this particular day, Marisa was not finding a single item that she felt was right for her. At this point, I was expecting her to start getting frustrated and angry. Odd as it seemed to me, but pleasantly surprised by her calm way of handling one disappointment after another, this didn't happen. After two hours at the mall Marisa had had it.
"Let's go home! I'll throw away these coupons and wait for new ones," she suddenly commented.
"You are so smart today," I said. "That is such a good idea!"
When we arrived home, Marisa took her wallet out of her bag. She opened it to remove the collection of coupons she was storing and tossed them in the garbage.
"Maybe I'll wait," she said. "I have time, and we can go another week-end."
I thought about all the times I had been telling Marisa to space her shopping trips throughout the month, so she would have enough money to last, not just for purchases in stores but for recreational activities like movies or lunch dates. I thought about all the times I had told her that coupons are just a way to get you in to the store, and that there will always be more coupons. Then I realized that something was clearly happening. Marisa was thinking things through. She was learning to delay her gratification. She was learning to make wise choices. She was becoming a wise shopper. My mini lectures were not wasted on her. She had been listening all along. She was ... growing up!
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