Tag Archives: Julie Seedorf

A New Page In My Life!

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Of course I always want to turn over a new leaf, especially now that it’s fall but this time I am working on a new Facebook Page representing the Author part of my life. There was a confusion. I tied my Sprinkled Notes blog to my sprinkled notes facebook author page. People couldn’t find me when they wanted me, the new author. So now I am switching over to a my new page. Here is the address. Follow along with me on my journey. There will be ups and there will be downs. Perhaps at times, I will rest in the valley inbetween.

My new author Facebook page. If you have been following my sprinkled notes Facebook page please switch over. It will disappear soon, just like the stiffs in Granny’s new book. https://www.facebook.com/julie.seedorf.author

 

Coupons and Store Cards Entice Us To Spend!

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Something About Nothing by Julie Seedorf published October 2014Coupon Pile Stock Photo
I have an inquisitive mind. I also like contests and coupons that give you something free. You know what they say: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You would not think that it would apply to coupons from your favorite places such as grocery stores, clothing stores, etc.

Each week there are coupons in the newspaper. Each week my Sunday paper comes with those colorful enticing ads. My mailbox, both snail mail and email, are full of exciting offers that tell us we can’t pass up the latest and greatest deal.

This week, as I was sorting through all the paper I have accumulated, I looked at all the receipts that I have that offer you something if you go online and take a survey about your visit. I usually toss the receipts. I decided to put my receipts in a pile and actually take their surveys.

At one store, after taking the survey, I received $5 off my next purchase of $25 or more. It has an expiration date. Another receipt gave me a free cookie on my next visit. I missed the deadline on two receipts. I decided to try it anyway. One of the receipts registered me for their drawing and another told me I was too late. The other receipts registered me for drawings for a prize of anywhere from $500 to $1,000.

As I looked in my billfold I also sifted through all the cards that I have that are reward cards. If I would carry all my reward cards I would need another wallet to carry them. Many of the cards I have, I use when I take my grandchildren to places such as Orange Leaf and Cherry Berry and more kid-friendly, fun establishments.

I have reward cards for Erbert & Gerbert’s, Lego, Ulta Beauty, Shopko, Panera, Hy-Vee Gas, Lowe’s, Caribou Coffee, Pizza Ranch, Petco and the list could go on. I sift through my cards before I leave my house if I know I am going to be going to one of these establishments. I admit, I do frequent some of these more often because of my rewards cards.

I used to be the coupon queen when I had kids at home. No grocery item was bought without a coupon. I carefully planned my shopping trips.  Now that we are empty-nesters, except for the Meow Twins that inhabit my house, I am not so careful. I do find myself looking at the coupons each week and cutting them out, thinking I should buy something. If I look at the coupons when I am hungry I cut out the coupons for things I would never buy, but look good on the coupons. That is probably the reason for coupons.

Moving on to store cards. I love birthdays because the store cards send coupons for $10 and $15 to use in their store. There is no catch, you do not have to buy anything else. If you have a lot of will power that works. You visit the store and spend only the amount that they have given you. There is one store that used to put the coupon in the paper. I would suspect there are more people that don’t have willpower and those coupons bring people into the store and they buy more than their $10.

I love the store that gives you $10 for every $50 you buy in the store. Of course, you need to come back and spend that $10. It is my version of going to the grocery store to only purchase one item and coming out with a cart full of groceries. How many times have you heard the comment in the checkout line, “I only came in to buy one thing?”

J.C. Penney a few years ago tried doing away with sales and it almost did them in. There is something about a coupon and a sale that brings the I-need-this out in people. Although for me, I loved the prices that J.C. Penney offered, but I did not like the ads so I wasn’t drawn in.

I have always been baffled by people camping out to get the sales on Black Friday. There will always be another sale. That item will be back. The hype feeds people into thinking they need something because of the price. “It’s a good deal so I better buy it now.”

I thought it was interesting that when the iPhone 6 came out there was such a frenzy to get it. I love my iPhone 5 but I also know that quirks and bugs usually come with something new.

On Sunday’s as I read through the ads I find so many things that I know I need. I am very lucky that I have to drive for miles to get that product I absolutely can’t do without. By the time I get around to driving those miles I have usually decided I don’t need it.

The key word to all of this is time. How much time do we spend trying to save money but only end up being tempted and succumbing to buying more because we have a deal? I am going to continue taking the time to register with my receipts as an experiment. Will I be a winner? Tune in for updates.

 

Balancing Independence When Aging

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Something About Nothing by Julie Seedorf – Albert Lea Tribune October 2014https://flic.kr/p/HCJzd

My mother was a very independent soul. She very seldom asked for help. I don’t think I inherited that part of her personality. I don’t have a problem asking for help. If I need it, I ask.

My daughter pointed out to me many years ago that by asking, I give others the chance to give too. I don’t know if my friends might feel that way about my asking. I feel I ask too much but I still ask. People can say no.

My friend Donna just spent two days helping me wallpaper my bathroom wall. She has a hard time saying no. That might be a problem if you have someone that constantly asks for help, and someone who constantly can’t say no. There is a fine line in the balance of give and take.

I suspect my mother didn’t ask for help because her life was spent helping her mother, who was most of the time bedridden or in a wheel chair, helping her brother who didn’t know how to cook and had health problems, and taking care of others who needed it. She became very adamant that she did not want to become a burden and did not want someone to have to take care of her as much as she had to take care of her mother. She didn’t want someone else to give up their dreams. She wanted to spare me that responsibility and was very stubborn about it.

What she didn’t realize was that her stubbornness made life much more difficult for those around her when it was clear she wasn’t managing her life very well, and couldn’t take care of herself, such as the time she broke her arm and didn’t tell anyone so we could take her to the doctor for help. Or the time she refused to go to the doctor when she had pneumonia.

We were happy to lend a hand with the cooking, cleaning, clothes washing and doctor visits, but because of her stubbornness it made life difficult not only for her but for us. It also led to outcomes that were detrimental for her and had more long term effects. It led to her being sicker and more injured than she had to be.

Had she let us help her, she could have stayed in her home. Had she let us help her, she wouldn’t have gotten so sick. As a daughter it was very hard and anguishing to deal with, because you love your parents and you want the best for them, the same as they wanted the best for you when you were growing up and in your adult years.

I see the scene happen time and time again. Older people do not accept their children’s help. They don’t want to burden them. They keep illness a secret so they don’t worry their kids, but their kids are worried none the same by their parents withdrawal and insistence they are OK, when clearly it is evident they aren’t.

The tug of war between them ensues, adult children trying to get their parents help and their parents resisting because they want to be independent.

The consequences of that stubbornness and fight to stay independent occasionally becomes worse for the parent and they end up sicker, unable to stay in their homes and in anguish because of the situation, when a little communication with their children could have had better results. Early intervention in whatever is happening in their life would have kept them more independent.

Having had to deal with some of this recently is what prompted this column. There is that part of us that wants to make our own decisions. We don’t want anyone telling us what to do. We want to be in control. We know what is best for our own lives. And…..we’re not going to let others control what we do. There is that fear of letting go and trusting others, even our own children.

I will tell you that when I was ill and I was in a depression, I could not make good decisions for my life. Had I not let others in and let them help me, the consequences of my life would have been much worse.

My age is increasing. Some days, it feels like it is increasing at a rapid rate. My mind is still good although the readers of my books might question that. And maybe, I lean too much to the wanting help when I am older because I do not want to make my children’s lives more difficult. Perhaps I lean too much in the other direction. I don’t know if I have that balance and if I don’t have the mental capacity later on to keep that balance that is what scares me.

We have made some preparation in case we become that stubborn independent older citizen. We have discussed the situation with our children. They know our finances. They know our wishes. Our children do not live in the same community or even 15 minutes away. We hope to move closer to our children so when we need more help, we won’t disrupt their lives so much, and hopefully we can put things in place so that our final years can be a blessing together for all of us.

I see the difficulty my friends have had lately trying hard to find a solution and a resolution with elderly parents who fight them at every turn, causing so much heartache for all involved. I don’t want my last years to have to be that.

We can’t predict the future. Maybe in spite of all my plans I will do the same thing to my kids. I want to be able to balance that fine line between independence and reliance. How about you?

“We’re taught to expect unconditional love from our parents, but I think it is more the gift our children give us. It’s they who love us helplessly, no matter what or who we are.”

— Kathryn Harrison, “The Kiss”