A bunch of Babble, a slight Rant, and self Improvement

I am tired of the cold. I am ready for the warmth as much of America is right now. I thought moving to Austin meant very mild winters, and everyone says it does, but this year is the exception! While it is not bad, we have had some record breaking lows, and there are weeks long of nights that are around 30 degrees. I don't like that but what can you do. I have learned that keeping the heat in my house is costly (to the tune of about $300 for the power bill) and we have learned the benefit of turning the heat down and snuggling under a blanket to watch TV. This kind of brings me to my topic of how spoiled we are as a society.

I see people all day at work come in and buy buy buy, which is great, but some buy things because they are too lazy to do it. A lot of people buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables at 2-5 times the cost of actually just buying the items separately and doing it themselves. They buy pre-made dinners, frozen lunches, prepared foods out the ass ON A DAILY BASIS! I know this is awesome for business, but how great is it for them? I listen to how people have no time because the kids have to be here and they have to be there and meeting someone over here. People need to stop plugging up their lives and stop, look around, and re-prioritize things. Is it important to you, or your kids that they are in soccer? It is important to you that you hit the gym but pick up Mc Donalds for dinner? Do you need to be in 5 social groups or just devote your time to one or 2. Does it make you feel more important when you spread yourself too thin? or is it just wearing you out so your family suffers? I am not saying that everyone does this or that this is every case, but you have got to stand back and reassess.

I reassess thing in my life all the time. I could be at home blogging in the comfort of my own home, but I decided to get out today, enjoy the beautiful day and go to a coffee shop. It got me moving and out of the house. While I like being at home now (since it is better than the last place we lived and more comfortable), I also realize that I like to be out too. Too much time in one place is kind of dull, and the last thing I want to be is dull. I decided also to try new foods since I was in a habit of fixing the same things over and over. When the weather improves, I am planning on getting out into nature (something I was unsuccessful at doing last year). I am reminding myself about the things that make me happy and relieve stress, and if something does not get done, then I will do it later. No stress.

We think that if we want something we need to just get it. I am horrible at that. I am learning to figure what I want and then give time to see if I really want it or just wanted it at that moment. I have found a lot of times I only wanted things because they are cool at the time. I have some of those things sitting on a shelf in a closet never being used. Some get used from time to time but most just go to the Goodwill at some point. It is when I wait for it, that I realize I really want it.

I think we would be a less wasteful society if we just learned to wait to buy things for ourselves, our kids, our pets. We might realize that what we think will be great at the time, we actually have already, or will never use. In society today, we seem to not believe in returning things. We throw out money because we are either too lazy to take it back or too embarrassed. We need to stop being so spoiled and wasteful. I know it has to start with me! It has to start with all of us.