Saturday, December 4, 2010

Shopping daily

My daughter, son-in-law, and baby are temporarily staying with us.  They used to live in an apartment.  Now they are on our five acres.  Son-in-law has only been to Southern California before.  He didn't realize that there was farmland in California and although he heard we had trees, never really witnessed seeing any. 

For the last couple of days I've had him tag along with me on my travels (except during the time I wrote about on Thursday).  He's seen farms and foothills.  He hasn't been to the timber yet.  That'll come another day.  Yesterday after we left the bug-out-place, where he didn't come walking with me or the equipment operator, we had another prep talk. 

We have had several talks and I keep bringing up things like my storage of supplies.  They don't know about all of it but they think I'm just a hoarder of stuff.  Today I said I just don't like shopping.  I will go to the store once a month or so other than to get fresh milk and bananas.  Otherwise, I have it on hand.  Same goes with other supplies.  Having spent his adulthood in apartments, they've never had more than a couple of days worth of anything on hand.  When I was visiting them right after the baby was born I ended up stocking several weeks worth of food.  They ended up packing it all up and brought it with them when they moved in here.

Son-in-law said that he likes to go out shopping each day.  If he stays home he feels like a hermit.  I told him I'd rather stay home and would prefer to never shop.  After our stop at the fire station I said that we needed to head home because I was hungry and it was almost lunch time.  He noted there was a restaurant (the only one for 15 miles) next to the fire station.  I said yes there is and it's a nice little steak house.  I eat at home.  I've had to explain to daughter and son-in-law that I don't pick up fast food and bring it home for dinner, nor do I eat out very often.  When we travel we will eat out as a treat for the kids, but not every meal.  Son-in-law said they'd rather eat out every day for at least one meal so they can just relax.  I don't get it.

They also like to shop.  They go to the mall almost daily.  We went to the mall last August for granddaughter to get her ears pierced.  Completely different lifestyles are happening in this house!  They bought bottles for the baby.  Baby didn't like those nipples so instead of buying one or two of a different kind they bought a large set of another type of bottle.  They probably spent thirty dollars on it.  Baby didn't like that one either.  They bought yet another full set of bottles.  No, baby still didn't like what they were offering.  (I know you are thinking that the baby will get hungry enough and will eat, but not this baby.  This is the one that was in ICU for her first seven weeks.)  I suggested they warm her bottle a little bit warmer than they have been.  Wow, baby likes the first type after all.  Every day they come back with a new outfit for the baby.  Sure they are cute outfits but so very unnecessary.  I tried to tell them that grandson that I raised for his first four months had half a dozen outfits.  I washed clothes often enough.  So does daughter but they like to buy baby things anyway.  They just like to shop and spend money.  I watch them waste it and dream of all the prep items I could be buying instead.

I am trying to convince them to spend on something of value to the future.  I'm just not getting through.  Their habits are going to be hard for me to change since they don't think they need to change them.  I'm trying to lead by example because I'm wise enough to know that advice offered when it's not wanted is certainly not going to be heeded.

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