30 November 2013

How One Person with a Small Voice Can Change the World


Those who know me personally know that I am naturally quiet. I don't go around all day preaching my beliefs about frugal living or the environment or food security or financial responsibility or even just responsibility or the lack thereof.

I can't be the person who turns a blind eye, accepting without question everything I'm told, that the economy isn't really struggling, that global warming is just a whole lot of propaganda spread by greenies, that the things that are happening in this world aren't really happening.

Until someone says something or something happens and then I know I can't just sit back and say or do nothing. I am just one person, with one small voice, and perhaps on my own I can't make huge changes, but I can encourage others to make a stand for what's right and true.

I believe that even though I am just one person, I have the ability to make a difference in my children's' lives, to make the future a little better and a little easier for them. I believe that I've been given a gift in the Cheapskates Club where I can spread the word about living the Cheapskates way. 

And so I talk about what I am cooking and share what is growing in the garden, how my family is living, where I've found great bargains, the things that we enjoy and sometimes even the things I think are just plain ridiculous. I speak up when I think someone could be saving money or time or energy by changing their attitude or actions. I talk to the people around me.

Just about every time I go out, whether it's just to the Post Office or the bank or shopping or for lunch with friends (yes, even I splurge on lunch out occasionally) the conversation will turn to frugal living or affordability or budgets and I sit and nod, throwing in the odd comment here and there.  It seems that everyone desperately wants to save money or time or energy and so I share the few changes I made way back when that started this crazy journey and leave hoping that perhaps my words have been just the incentive they needed to make better choices for themselves and their families.

I don't wear rose coloured glasses. I know that the world will never be populated just by Cheapskates and that's OK. We are all individuals with the ability to make choices for ourselves (yes, you can make up your own mind, you don't need to be told what to think or believe). I just want to encourage everyone to take back the responsibility for the way they live and make their own choices based on their personal needs and wants. 

To be more aware of the things that are really important to them, and the things they do because "everyone does it" or "everyone has one" or "everyone goes there". To realise that to be truly happy and content, whether they live the Cheapskates way or not, they need to be true to themselves and ditch the unimportant stuff, that they don't have to play "keeping up with the Joneses".

I want to encourage everyone to explore new options and realize just how many good choices there are for them. 

And most importantly I want to encourage them to spread the word and share this thinking with the folk around them. To encourage others to change their thinking, to ditch the things that aren't important to them so they can enjoy the things that are.

Share what you believe in. Stand for something. Take back responsibility. Let others hear your small voice.

And one small voice by one small voice, we can change the world.


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3 comments:

  1. Well said. Don't you feel the topic of money is so taboo? A group of people will talk about sex, even share their personal experiences but yet when it comes to money people aren't so open. I think if people are more willing to get real with money they won't feel the need to as you say "keep up with the jones"

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  2. Perhaps it stems back to "the olden days" of my childhood when as I was growing up I was taught it wasn't polite to discuss money, politics or religion - and yet I find all three fascinating and love to learn about them.

    When it comes to keeping up we just need to be brave enough to say no. Don't make excuses, don't offer alternatives, just say no to the things we don't really want to do/buy/eat/use/visit.

    If more individuals and families would just say no to the things they aren't really interested in, then you'd probably find that there would be a lot less keeping up, or at least it would certainly lose it's hold over lives.

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  3. Hi I am a great believer in the saying 'it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than just give them a fish. My opinion is that many people struggling to survive financially in this country need to be taught how to manage their money, how to cook and how to make their dollar stretch rather than just give them handouts of food. For many they the receipes or intrusctions on how to cook the food and make it stretch to many meals. Regards Melinda

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