we had our moment where we realised that you just dont need to get a bargain just 'cause it is when we were travelling OS. i realised just how much fun it is to actually have very little to wash, pick up and play with!

when we got back we decided to continue our lack of consumerism ways and it is really liberating! it is amazing how much more time we have just for doing simple, fun stuff rather than traipsing from one supermarket and shopping centre to the next. and the big bonus is that we now have a much better cash flow and can actually direct our funds into stuff that is more meaningful as a family. (for example, all the cash that DH gets from soccer refereeing used to be our 'spend at will' money, but now we have been able to save it for the last 6 weeks and have enough for a weekend away as a family!). it all adds up those $5 "bargains"....