The age of the discount store

Over the last few years I've seen a massive increase in what I would call 'discount stores' - shops that offer damaged, plain-brand or over-their-used-by-date stock at very low prices. I personally love these shops - and I think a great number of other Australians do too. These are the shops that are always full - and their patrons commonly emerge carrying boxes full of cheap goods, at least believing they've saved 'a packet'.


Can you really make any decent saving by shopping at these places? I reckon you can - but there's a few things to be aware of.


1 - How far do you travel to get to the store? A 15min extra drive just to save 20c on a carton of milk is clearly not worth it! Your saving here depends on how much cheaper your grocery bill is, compared to the cost of your transport.


2 - Beware of ripoffs in 'bargain' costumes. Take note of what you pay at each store. Not everything is a real saving. I think some of these places make money by having slightly overpriced items hidden amongst the real savings, which easily fool unsuspecting customers.


3 - Would you buy it if it wasn't on special? This is the thing that almost gets me every time. I see something at an incredibly low price, and buy it simply because of its great price, not necessarily because I need it. My tip is to make a list, and stick to that list. Only deviate on items you know for sure you will use (before they go out of date). Too many times I've walked out of a store having spent way more than I intended, on things I don't really need, which is not really a saving at all.

Look at the birds

Where have I been all this time? Put simply, I've been off running a kids holiday program. But that's a whole other post...

What else has been happening? Heaps. But one thing I've been re-learning (or reinforcing?) this week is to do with just trusting God to provide my needs. I was a bit worried because I wasn't getting a lot of work, and the money was running low... but I believe that if God calls me to do something, then he'll provide the finances I need to do it. Anyway, I was encouraged today because work rang me at 6am. This was an answer to my prayers of the night before. And believe me, for once it was not a struggle to get out of bed for work.

One thing I'll add: don't sit there and think "Well, it's all right for her, she's got a job... she doesn't know what I go through". Well, maybe I don't. But I do know what it's like to do it tough. Our family's relied on social security for just about ten years, we're a single parent family, and I've been a student for what feels like forever. So I know what it's like to shop in the 'reduced to clear' section of the supermarket, and to enjoy a night out as a 5-times a year luxury. Not that I'm complaining, of course: In fact, I'm thankful that I've gone through those times, because it's made me much more thankful for what I have, and has probably improved my money-management skills.

A group of birds feed on someone's leftover Maccas meal.

Birds don't stress about where their next meal's coming from: They know that somehow, somewhere, someone will leave something behind for them. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from these creatures...

So now that we've cleared that up, I encourage you the reader to reflect on how you respond when you get hit hard in the back pocket, so to speak. Have you discovered the incredible secret of trusting God to provide your needs when the going gets tough? Or do you instantly break out in sweat and acne? I think it's amazing that God says we don't need to worry for those things, just to trust him to provide. And believe me, or at least believe God's promises: He really does prove himself faithful.

P.S. To all you out there who are struggling, to those of you who battle doubt and fear about the future, my heart goes out to you. I know the place you're in - and sometimes I end up there myself. Just be assured that God understands your situation, and he cares. He just calls you to trust him, that's all; He'll deal with the rest.