The other day my seven-year-old
son, Alex, came home
from school with a project for
the whole family. In his folder
he had two cards, one with the word
“want” on it, and the other bearing
the word “need.” His project, he told
us, was to see if we knew the difference
between what things we need to
live and what things we think we need
to live, but actually just want.
So, as I was fixing dinner, he began
to quiz me and his older sister, Maddie.
As he pointed to items around the
room, such as the kitchen faucet, the
food I was preparing and my large soda,
we talked about how sometimes we
can mistake our wants for needs. For
instance, when I categorized my drink
as a want—even though most days it
seems like a need—he challenged me
and said, “But we need to drink.” A discussion
then ensued about the difference
between drinking water and a
soda.
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 New Perspective
These days, with the economy as uncertain
as it is, the distinction between
what we need and what we want seems
to be pretty important. Our family discovered
that the hard way when my
husband, Mark’s, job was eliminated
late last year and we faced the reality of
living on one income. Needs versus
wants suddenly became very clear to us.
(You can read more about our family’s
experience in the sidebar “Putting a
Face on the Economic Crisis” in the
June issue.)
But what also became clear to us is
that cutting back on your wants and
just fulfilling your needs can be rewarding.
Suddenly, since we could no longer
afford to go out as much, we found
ourselves spending more time together
doing things that were free. We talked
more, laughed more and did things we
had forgotten we enjoyed, such as
swinging at the park or playing all the
board games that had been sitting
untouched in the playroom closet.
According to a 2006 survey on
happiness by the London School of
Economics, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
That survey found that the
nation with the happiest people in the
world was Bangladesh, which happens
to be one of the world’s poorest countries,
with an annual income of roughly
$500 per person. In contrast, the
United States, where the average annual
income is $37,000 per person, ranked
47th in the happiness survey.
Luckily for us, my husband was able
to find a new job rather quickly. But we
have continued to try to focus on our
needs rather than slip back into a
lifestyle of fulfilling our wants. In fact,
recently we started going through all of
our family’s clothes and toys in order to
pare down. Even the kids are amazed at
how much “stuff” we had and didn’t
use. Our three-year-old daughter, Riley,
even offered up some of her toys “for
some little kid who doesn’t have any.”
Look on the Bright Side
Money matters can be very stressful,
especially these days. Here are some
ways to help put a more positive outlook
on the topic:
Embrace freedom. This month, as we
celebrate our country’s freedom, search
out ways to incorporate freedom into
your family’s life. It could be freedom
from debt, possessions, too many commitments,
even guilt. Reflect on what
is weighing you down and develop a
plan to free yourself.
Go free. One thing that surprised me
when Mark was out of work was how
many things there were to do for free
in our community if we just looked. We
found museums, classes, programs at
local parks and many other fun things
to do at no cost. Check your local paper
or the Internet to see what types of
adventures might await you and your
family.
Cut back. When Mark and I reviewed
our budget, we discovered a number of
places we could cut back. Take a long,
hard look at where your money is going
and see if there are things you can do
without, such as cable television, cell
phones or memberships.
If you’re not sure if you can do without
something, take a fast from it for a
week and then see how you feel.
Reap the rewards. Once Mark got a
job, we decided to continue seeking
out free things to do and sticking to our
bare-bones budget. We then took the
extra money and worked together as a
family to decide what to do with it,
such as making a donation to a charity
of our choice or buying extra food for
our parish’s food pantry.
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