My mother and I were making a video chat, happily sharing the fruits of their gold rush - a bouquet of flowers purchased from an e-commerce platform for only 10 yuan, which was 3 yuan cheaper than the ones sold at the flower and bird market near my home.
Through the screen, I saw that the leaves of the bouquet were no longer straight and straight, and the flowers had reached the "peak of life" and appeared in full bloom. It will last three to five days at most before it flourishes and then declines. Drooping, curling, changing color, and drying up will be its irreversible fate. Although flowers bloom and fade from time to time, the appreciation period of this bouquet is a bit short for my mother.
The similar products sold in the flower and bird market do not look this mature. They look like beautiful ladies who have just entered the palace and are eager to compete for their beauty.
When I was young, I would definitely give my mother a "class" on this purchase, and deny her whether this transaction was worthwhile in terms of the joy of selection, the cycle of flower blooming, and the impact on my mood. For an extra three yuan, you can enjoy the life of these flowers from blooming, blooming to withering. This price-performance ratio is more cost-effective than paying 20% off to only watch half of the show.
But now, I will no longer settle financial accounts for my parents. Because when I reached middle age, I began to question them, understand them, become them, and even surpass them.
Daily operations for saving money
Every parent has a set of "treasures"
Like many young people, I used to dislike my parents' ways of saving money and even being stingy.
For example, my home is in the city center. There is a large supermarket in the southeast, northwest and northwest within a 10-minute walk, which is very convenient. But my dad always chooses wet markets farther away when shopping. My dad said that the same variety of cucumbers costs 3.5 yuan per catty in supermarkets, and he can buy them at 3 yuan after negotiating the price at the vegetable market, and the merchant will definitely not give him, an old customer, eight liang of weight (short of a catty or less).
Every once in a while, my dad would drive his little "BMW", a four-wheeled hand-pulled grocery cart, and walk back and forth for an hour to the rice and noodle wholesale store to haul back flour and rice.
I asked him why he didn't go to the supermarket to buy it, it was so convenient.
My dad said that for the same amount of snowflake flour in a bag, the noodle shop is 15% cheaper than the supermarket, which is the lowest price in the city. He wouldn't go to the supermarket and be taken advantage of.
My mom and my dad were on the same page when it came to saving money.
Having loved beauty all her life, her wardrobe is full of clothes, but only a handful of them are expensive. This woman who prefers to go to the clothing wholesale market when buying clothes insists on one idea: clothes will become obsolete after one season, so why buy brand-name products.
My mother uses the same method to buy daily necessities. She will not go to supermarkets and won't consider e-commerce because she can't bargain in either place. Her first choice is to go to Yiwu Small Shopping Mall. The prices here are not high. Coupled with the advantage of being able to compare products on the spot and her eloquent bargaining skills, my mother can force the bosses to say "Businesses are not easy in the world and must be done." , But this woman is really angry when I sell her something.”
They like to travel and go out two or three times a year. There is only one criterion for choosing: the lowest price. As long as it's not a forced-buying tour, my mother can make zero purchases. At most, she can buy tens of dollars worth of specialties at a local specialty store, which is considered a favor to the tour guide.
As for going to the airport, they had to squeeze two large suitcases for an hour on the bus, and the leftovers at home only ended up in my parents’ stomachs. This has been a common daily operation for me since I was a child.
If the family is in a tight situation, I can understand their methods of saving money. However, the family's economic conditions are not as good as those above, but more than below. They do not only have retirement salary as their only source of income. They can treat themselves better and live a more "luxurious" life.
Therefore, when I was young, I didn’t understand my parents’ consumption behavior of “going to great lengths” to always choose low prices and “cutting” everything. At that time, I thought that after I made money, I would not live a life that was wronged by my parents. Money will not be taken with you in life or death; it has value only when it is spent.
When you become the "big wronged" mother
In "Reply 1988", Phoenix Hall once said to Shanyu's mother, "None of the old people's words are wrong."
This sentence may be biased in some things, but it makes sense when it comes to saving money. People who have experienced it have their own reasons.
Now that I am middle-aged and have two children, I have changed from disdain to understanding and learning about the little tricks my parents used to save money.
Picture source丨"Bankrupt Sisters"
Don't buy new clothes if you can wear them - No matter how good the clothes are, they are not as convenient as hoodies and sweatpants once you start taking care of a baby;
For similar products, you must shop around and choose the lowest price—— Although it takes some time, I am not one of the CEOs listed on Forbes. I need to race against time to exchange money for time;
products that are not urgently needed must wait until the "historically low price" special offer - waiting may be annoying, but it saves money. What comes down is real money;
Fruits that are not too fresh were thrown away before, but now they are made into juice and puree and have to go through their own Kitchen God Temple.
Picture source | "Xia Fan"
Saving money is a virtue and saving money is a family rule. This is the motto that I believe in in middle age. Why does
have such changes?
I think the first reason is that the difficult environment stimulated my consumption downgrade. In the past, if you had the strength to upgrade your consumption, it would be enough if it was good enough; now you have to tighten your purse strings, and it would be enough if it is enough. Putting
in my home, the most obvious change is that vegetables don’t have to be popular ones, as the premium is too high and it’s not cost-effective. Carrots and greens have their own nutrients; fruits don’t pursue “cherry freedom”, just enough bananas are fine; traveling across provinces with children It’s too expensive, but it’s a good idea to visit an aquarium that’s an hour’s drive away from home.
Picture source丨"Nagi's New Life"
Last week, my family went to Costco for shopping. My husband and I stood in front of the dazzling cereal aisle and hesitated whether to buy the classic brands we used to eat or try the supermarket's own brands. brand? The latter is more than 1/3 cheaper than the former.
At that moment, I remembered a scene in "Modern Family": When Lily was eating breakfast, she found that the brand of Cheerios she often ate had become the supermarket's own brand. She took a bite and spat it out, and worriedly asked Cameron where her father's house was. Not bankrupt?
It’s exaggerated in soap operas. The supermarket’s own-brand cereals are also good and very cost-effective. You will only choose it if your family will not go bankrupt, but it may indeed be a choice to downgrade your consumption.
The matter of consumption downgrade is just like what Calvino wrote in "If on a Winter Night, a Traveler":
"It is easier to give up everything than people think. The difficulty lies in the beginning. Once you give up something What you originally thought was fundamental, you will find that you can give up other things, and there will be many other things to give up in the future."
Picture source丨"My home is empty"
Secondly, it is because of raising children the cost is too high.
Several interest classes for the eldest son, daycare fees for the second eldest child, summer camps during the summer vacation, a batch of clothes that need to be changed every three to five months, activities to cultivate the child's sentiment and increase the child's knowledge... Whether the child can become a talent is another matter, but It’s hard to save on these expenses on their way to adulthood. Gone are the days when when we were children, we just played in the yard after school and had almost no additional education expenses except for tutoring.
When I reach my age, I have a clearer understanding of myself: I don’t have the brains to make a lot of money, and I don’t have the destiny to get rich. I only have a few small skills to pay the bills of life. There is no hope of increasing income, so we can only reduce expenditure. The money saved is turned into fertilizer spread to the flowers of the motherland.
Picture source丨"Little Joy"
Just like my parents, their savings are only for their own . Whenever it comes to me, the rich soul in my body will come out, and I will never hesitate to spend money. When I was a child, during the holidays, my mother would definitely buy me a new outfit from head to toe; my parents would definitely take me to try new restaurants; they would never buy the toys and books I like. hesitate.
The result is that now I have perfectly inherited this family tradition, I have become a "big wronged" mother who spends money for herself and spends a lot of money for her children.
Save, but don’t make useless savings
In the past, we always felt that we and our parents were not of the same generation, and very few of us had the same outlook on life and ideas. Now, our two generations still have differences on many things, but when it comes to consumption concepts, I will eventually start to move closer to my parents:
I understand that it is not easy to make money legally, and you should really save your money and not bear to waste a penny. %;
understands that parents save themselves in order to leave good things to the next generation;
understands that parents’ picky behavior is not their nature, but is more often caused by the big wave, the economy, and The "best" and only choice made under the combined effect of medical care and pension structures...
This is not a better life, but it may be the most rational lifestyle that a responsible and kind-hearted ordinary parent can give. .
However, although we all pursue saving money, there is still a difference between our generation of parents and the previous generation of parents: we will not make useless savings.
There was a hot topic on the Internet: What useless frugal behaviors have you seen among the older generation? Netizens contributed classic cases around them:
My mother-in-law was reluctant to turn on the air conditioner. She suffered from heat stroke, which later led to other diseases. She stayed in the hospital for more than a month with intermittent fever and spent more than 30,000 yuan;
My father used to pour out the oil after cooking. Then use it again;
I couldn't bear to throw away a piece of tofu that was not too fresh in the summer. My aunt was hospitalized for ten days after eating it;
My mother bought the lowest-priced slippers on the Internet, but they were not slippery and broke into fractures;
...
"Useless frugality" is Save a small amount of money, lose a lot of money, be busy for a long time, and save money in vain. Compared with the previous generation of parents, our saving money is closer to the concept of rational consumption.
For example, using domestic skin care products with a guaranteed reputation to replace high-priced foreign skin care and clothing products;
In terms of parenting, we no longer have a superstitious belief in early education products and early education classes. It is more important for parents to accompany their children wholeheartedly;
do not follow the trend. Taking your children to interest classes, instead of frequently participating in some short-term entertainment activities, is better to invest in long-lasting interests and hobbies that your children like, which is more meaningful for the overall development of your children, etc.
In short, this generation of parents will make careful arrangements for the price, brand, performance requirements, purchase time, and location of the product before purchasing it, and strive to be well aware of it; they will not buy unnecessary or inappropriate products, and strive to ensure unplanned expenses. and impromptu purchases are reduced to a minimum.
Because we understand:
Useful savings should be an investment in the future, not a drain on life.
This sentence may be biased in some things, but it makes sense when it comes to saving money. People who have experienced it have their own reasons.
Now that I am middle-aged and have two children, I have changed from disdain to understanding and learning about the little tricks my parents used to save money.
Picture source丨"Bankrupt Sisters"
Don't buy new clothes if you can wear them - No matter how good the clothes are, they are not as convenient as hoodies and sweatpants once you start taking care of a baby;
For similar products, you must shop around and choose the lowest price—— Although it takes some time, I am not one of the CEOs listed on Forbes. I need to race against time to exchange money for time;
products that are not urgently needed must wait until the "historically low price" special offer - waiting may be annoying, but it saves money. What comes down is real money;
Fruits that are not too fresh were thrown away before, but now they are made into juice and puree and have to go through their own Kitchen God Temple.
Picture source | "Xia Fan"
Saving money is a virtue and saving money is a family rule. This is the motto that I believe in in middle age. Why does
have such changes?
I think the first reason is that the difficult environment stimulated my consumption downgrade. In the past, if you had the strength to upgrade your consumption, it would be enough if it was good enough; now you have to tighten your purse strings, and it would be enough if it is enough. Putting
in my home, the most obvious change is that vegetables don’t have to be popular ones, as the premium is too high and it’s not cost-effective. Carrots and greens have their own nutrients; fruits don’t pursue “cherry freedom”, just enough bananas are fine; traveling across provinces with children It’s too expensive, but it’s a good idea to visit an aquarium that’s an hour’s drive away from home.
Picture source丨"Nagi's New Life"
Last week, my family went to Costco for shopping. My husband and I stood in front of the dazzling cereal aisle and hesitated whether to buy the classic brands we used to eat or try the supermarket's own brands. brand? The latter is more than 1/3 cheaper than the former.
At that moment, I remembered a scene in "Modern Family": When Lily was eating breakfast, she found that the brand of Cheerios she often ate had become the supermarket's own brand. She took a bite and spat it out, and worriedly asked Cameron where her father's house was. Not bankrupt?
It’s exaggerated in soap operas. The supermarket’s own-brand cereals are also good and very cost-effective. You will only choose it if your family will not go bankrupt, but it may indeed be a choice to downgrade your consumption.
The matter of consumption downgrade is just like what Calvino wrote in "If on a Winter Night, a Traveler":
"It is easier to give up everything than people think. The difficulty lies in the beginning. Once you give up something What you originally thought was fundamental, you will find that you can give up other things, and there will be many other things to give up in the future."
Picture source丨"My home is empty"
Secondly, it is because of raising children the cost is too high.
Several interest classes for the eldest son, daycare fees for the second eldest child, summer camps during the summer vacation, a batch of clothes that need to be changed every three to five months, activities to cultivate the child's sentiment and increase the child's knowledge... Whether the child can become a talent is another matter, but It’s hard to save on these expenses on their way to adulthood. Gone are the days when when we were children, we just played in the yard after school and had almost no additional education expenses except for tutoring.
When I reach my age, I have a clearer understanding of myself: I don’t have the brains to make a lot of money, and I don’t have the destiny to get rich. I only have a few small skills to pay the bills of life. There is no hope of increasing income, so we can only reduce expenditure. The money saved is turned into fertilizer spread to the flowers of the motherland.
Picture source丨"Little Joy"
Just like my parents, their savings are only for their own . Whenever it comes to me, the rich soul in my body will come out, and I will never hesitate to spend money. When I was a child, during the holidays, my mother would definitely buy me a new outfit from head to toe; my parents would definitely take me to try new restaurants; they would never buy the toys and books I like. hesitate.
The result is that now I have perfectly inherited this family tradition, I have become a "big wronged" mother who spends money for herself and spends a lot of money for her children.
Save, but don’t make useless savings
In the past, we always felt that we and our parents were not of the same generation, and very few of us had the same outlook on life and ideas. Now, our two generations still have differences on many things, but when it comes to consumption concepts, I will eventually start to move closer to my parents:
I understand that it is not easy to make money legally, and you should really save your money and not bear to waste a penny. %;
understands that parents save themselves in order to leave good things to the next generation;
understands that parents’ picky behavior is not their nature, but is more often caused by the big wave, the economy, and The "best" and only choice made under the combined effect of medical care and pension structures...
This is not a better life, but it may be the most rational lifestyle that a responsible and kind-hearted ordinary parent can give. .
However, although we all pursue saving money, there is still a difference between our generation of parents and the previous generation of parents: we will not make useless savings.
There was a hot topic on the Internet: What useless frugal behaviors have you seen among the older generation? Netizens contributed classic cases around them:
My mother-in-law was reluctant to turn on the air conditioner. She suffered from heat stroke, which later led to other diseases. She stayed in the hospital for more than a month with intermittent fever and spent more than 30,000 yuan;
My father used to pour out the oil after cooking. Then use it again;
I couldn't bear to throw away a piece of tofu that was not too fresh in the summer. My aunt was hospitalized for ten days after eating it;
My mother bought the lowest-priced slippers on the Internet, but they were not slippery and broke into fractures;
...
"Useless frugality" is Save a small amount of money, lose a lot of money, be busy for a long time, and save money in vain. Compared with the previous generation of parents, our saving money is closer to the concept of rational consumption.
For example, using domestic skin care products with a guaranteed reputation to replace high-priced foreign skin care and clothing products;
In terms of parenting, we no longer have a superstitious belief in early education products and early education classes. It is more important for parents to accompany their children wholeheartedly;
do not follow the trend. Taking your children to interest classes, instead of frequently participating in some short-term entertainment activities, is better to invest in long-lasting interests and hobbies that your children like, which is more meaningful for the overall development of your children, etc.
In short, this generation of parents will make careful arrangements for the price, brand, performance requirements, purchase time, and location of the product before purchasing it, and strive to be well aware of it; they will not buy unnecessary or inappropriate products, and strive to ensure unplanned expenses. and impromptu purchases are reduced to a minimum.
Because we understand:
Useful savings should be an investment in the future, not a drain on life.
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