Day 98, April 8

I love garage sales. I love finding other people's castoffs and turning them into my own treasures. My home is filled with Ethan Allen furniture, from garage sales. My closet is filled with name brand clothes, also from garage sales. I learned the art of garage saling from my mother. My mother was a child of the Great Depression. She knew how to stretch a dollar. She also knew how to spot value. Most importantly, she taught me how to live within my means. Old-fashioned principles, to be sure, but they have stood me in good stead. (Don't we all wish that our government could learn to live within its means?) My children occasionally ask, "Why do you go to garage sales when you can afford to shop at real stores?" The answer is two-fold. First, as I said, I love garage sales. Every sale is an adventure. Secondly, living below our means allows my husband and me to be generous. We tithe to our church and try to help others whenever we can. So, for today, I am grateful for garage sales. It goes without saying that I'm always grateful for my mother.