Guest Blog by: Midge

It almost took an act of congress to get my husband, my one year old and myself out of the door and ready for our vacation this year.  By the time we were finally on the road to the airport, the baby was sleeping, the car was packed and I needed a vacation from my vacation!  In a few hours, we would be comfortably seated on the plane and ready for a trip to my in-laws ranch.

In the rush to get out of the door, my husband and I remembered that we did not eat lunch.  We already mailed our clothes ahead of us so we could avoid baggage claim and all we brought was a personal bag for my husband, my daughter and I.  We had just enough “stuff” with us to be happy on our two hour trip.

Boarding passes in hand, we sprinted straight to the security checkpoint only to be confronted by a very, very long line.  We were flying from a small airport with a pint size squeeze chute for all of us to shuffle through.  There was a zig zag line, reminiscent of a line for a ride at a theme park, to ensure that order was kept by all.

When we had been in line for about ten minutes, I started to notice that there was something out of place.  A smell began emanating from some wonderful food a couple of zig zags over… my stomach grumbled, maybe a little too loud.  Then, I saw it.  Someone had brought my favorite kind of Chinese food and was eating it in line.  Every time we turned the corner, I saw the food all over again and smelled its deliciousness

Thinking back to that story, I am reminded of how miserable I felt in the moment.  I knew that I just needed to have that Chinese food… nothing else would do.  When we eventually got through security, we hungrily bolted to the nearest food place and had to suffice our hunger pangs with a cold sandwich from their cooler.  It was no comparison to the great smelling Chinese food.

But, did we really need it or did we just want it?  When I think of frugal choices, I think budget decisions are often like Chinese food.  Although, I really would love to eat out more often, I often choose not to make that expenditure.  Making great budget choices often involves sacrifice.  But, in the end, the overall benefits for our family have been more rewarding than a cold sandwich.  It has given us a financial freedom that is more solid than the fleeting great taste of Chinese noodles.

But, oh how I love those noodles….

Have you ever made a tough decision not to buy something you really wanted because it was a want and not a need?  How did you feel after you made the decision?  Do you crave Chinese noodles too? mmmm, mmmm… 

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