God > stuff....but oh man, do I like stuff!

Team Hayes went on a major shopping spree today. We spent a grand total of $3,627.96. That sounds like a lot, right? Well, consider this: In 2003, Brad bought the TV that we have right now. It is a 900 pound, 38", picture tube monstrosity that takes up about one quarter of the square footage of our family room. It was pretty much the last picture tube television ever made, and the only reason it wasn't bigger than 38", was because if they made a 42" high definition picture tube television, you'd need a forklift to move it around your house. Anyway, when he bought the behemoth, it came with a specialized TV stand, surround sound, sub woofer, DVD player, and Direct TV dish equipment. It was a package deal, and he paid $3,600 plus tax! Eek.

Today, for the same amount that he spent on just his TV stuff back in the day, we got a sleeper sofa, a matching reclining love seat, a coffee table and two matching end tables, a lap top desk, a chair for the laptop desk, a 42" LCD flat screen TV, a DVD/surround sound home theater system, a TV table, and two matching bookcases.




Everything you see pictured above was purchased today for the same amount of money that (seven years ago) purchased this:



Yeah, Brad might be "good with money", and he might have had the $3,600 cash to throw down for his TV and stuff back then...BUT, I definitely bring something to the table here. I know how to get MORE for my (our) money! ;) We make a great team. He saves the money, and I spend it...on deals!

Are you ready for the bonus? If you apply for a Military Star card, you get 10% off of your first day's purchases. Also, AAFES has a special right now...if you use your star card to buy furniture or electronics between October 1st and October 15th, you will not have to pay interest or even make a payment until May 2011. Hmm, coincidence that the only things we were buying were furniture and electronics? SO, Brad got a star card today. The limit was $3,700 (when we had already picked out exactly $3,629.00 worth of stuff, weird huh?). We will now only have to pay $3,266 for all of that stuff (10% off = $363 in savings), and we don't have to take a giant chunk out of our savings account to do it, because we can leisurely pay $600 per month and have the balance paid in full with ZERO interest charges before we even have a payment due. NICE! Credit cards can be a good thing...if they are used to SAVE money, instead of to waste money on interest charges!

Now I can head off to California tomorrow night (hopefully), satisfied with the fact that we have all of the furniture we need/want for our new living room. That's just one less thing I have to worry about when I get back, during those few days before we have to move.

Stuff makes me happy, but God makes me happier! I want to glorify Him, with my deals and happiness today. Praise God, and let me express how thankful I am for all the gifts He has blessed us with. He has indeed provided for us, by giving us the strength and wisdom to be financially stable enough to make purchases like this without fear of future indebtedness. Yay!