Every night before I go to bed, I drink a cup of chamomile tea. I’m trying to heal my esophagus from years of heartburn and it provides a smooth coating that keeps the acid at bay while I sleep.
Last night I went to make my cup of tea and ran into some trouble. See, we are in the middle of moving, and all of our dishes are packed. We have plastic cups and paper plates, but nothing that can hold hot liquid.
As I stood there in my pajamas in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic and grocery stores closed at 8 pm, I wondered what I could do. I could go to the gas station and pay a small fortune for a dusty package of hot cups. I could open the 6 boxes marked “dishes” and try to find the coffee cups. I could skip the tea and sleep on a 3 foot stack of pillows and hope for the best. Then I noticed the recycling that hadn’t been taken out to the bins yet and there was the answer! An empty pickle jar.
I washed that jar and made my tea. It worked like a charm. Kind of goofy, but who cares, it worked. I joked with a group of moms friends that I would write a blog about it. I took a picture of myself with the jar of tea. This morning I posted that picture in my Instastories with the hashtag #50usesforthatoldjar. Then it hit me. I really SHOULD write a blog about it.
Because you see, one of my top strengths is resourcefulness. I don’t just think so, every personality test I have ever taken says so, too. And that is what makes me so into budgeting. I don’t typically see problems like missing paychecks or being without something as an insurmountable problem. It’s not that those things don’t stress me out, but I see it as more of a challenge to overcome and I get to work thinking and planning.
I use rebate apps, I have 10 different side hustles, I take surveys, I use rewards points, I sign up for emails and text alerts all in the name of getting a discount. I make my own laundry detergent and use every free sample I get. All of these things I do in the name of resourcefulness, but it also contributes to my overall budget-minded personality.
While doing these things might not appeal to you, everybody has ways in their life they can be resourceful. As you’re going about your daily routine, think about it and pat yourself on the back every time you see it in something you do.
And that pickle jar? I think I’ll wash it and use it to send a friend some of my awesome laundry detergent.
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