Mexican Jumping Beans

I bought a new book on the weekend, as I seem to do most weekends..

Choosing Simplicity by Linda Breen Pierce. Here's the Amazon Link

Choosing.jpg

I havent finished it yet.. but I laughed out loud at one part in which the Author, seeking to illustrate a point, describes something from her childhood.

As a young girl she was awfully keen to get her hands on some "Mexican Jumping Beans" she scraped together enough money, clipped out the coupon and sent off for her new beans.

Getting hold of Jumping Beans is something that any child would be excited about, being able to take them to school, play with them, show their friends, have that warm fuzzy feeling of having all the neigborhood kids clustered around her.

The Mexican Jumping Beans arrived and the little girl eagerly ripped open the packaging and let the Beans loose, they jumped around and were as every bit as exciting as she'd imagined. Two days later, she was devastated, the Beans were no longer jumping.

So the moral of the story is that posessions we desire are often like Mexican Jumping Beans, they provide us brief excitement and reward but they quickly lose their jump. But instead of a few weekends of pocket money gone we end up with a Loan, a Credit Card Bill or forego other opportunities to invest or turn our money to more meaningful, less transient uses.
 
oooohhh I like that little story.

There was a lady on Dr Phil talking about the grown up version of Jumping Bean Syndrome. She bought a $600 Louis Vuitton handbag, 3 days later needed another rush. On a school teacher's wage so couldn't really afford to spend like Jessica Simpson.

She didn't seem to realise that a lot of famous people get the items sent to them for free. I wish!!! :p Still I like the thrill of the chase best with op shops or 2nd hand. If you gave me $1000 to spend I wouldn't buy just one item I would see how far I could stretch it... must be genetic my aunty loves the thrill of a bargain too! :D

Maybe the secret is an attitude to loving the bargain and not seeing it as second best to get second hand. Embrace your inner bargain shopper!!!!
 
Back
Top