I am a shopper.  Can’t help it, don’t want to hide it.  I just enjoy the whole process of finding the best quality item for the best possible price.  Like many of you, I have discovered proven strategies in shopping that work for me.

My husband, however, only has one strategy.  “Get in, buy the thing, get out.”  I have some friends who cannot and will not shop alone.  And  it’s not just that they can’t shop alone, they have to have their shopping buddy right next to them the entire time, and make running commentary to their buddy for the duration of their shopping experience.  I have another friend who goes into each and every store twice.  Twice!  Before she even buys one thing.  She does the initial scan, then goes back to decide what she will purchase to get the best deal.

I think it’s very helpful to know your own shopping style and set your personal strategy before you go shopping.  Fo me, I don’t want to waste time, so sometimes I’ll check out websites and make phone calls before I even go looking for a particular item.  Then, when I know which stores have the best selection, and where the best prices are, I strike.  I like to go alone, and get the job done.

Now, your strategy may be completely different, and uniquely your own, but I think we all have one thing in common.  We check the cost before we buy.  After all, none of us are Paris Hilton, we can’t afford to be wasteful.  And don’t you just hate it when an item you thought was a bargain, falls apart the first time you wash it?  Then you end up having to purchase another item to replace it?

In life, we sometimes are presented with choices that we know will cost us something.  To have the best life possible, that we always talk about, requires us to make choices.  We compare lives like we shop in the mall.  We compare the risks and the costs demanded upon us to get what we want.  Then we choose.  Will we pay the price for a good marriage?  Will we choose to pay less and get something of lesser quality in our relationships?  If we choose a lower cost, less commitment maybe, or a shorter time spent in communication with God, will we fall apart the moment the spin cycle comes in our lives?

I’ve decided to compare the cost of what I want in my life, and pay the price to have it.  It hurts sometimes, it’s painful, it’s not always fun, but I will pay the cost.  “You get what you pay for”, right?  That’s what my mother always told me.  So what am I paying for today?  I will pay the cost for a marriage that lasts.  I will dig deep for a relationship with my kids.  I will pour out my whole heart to learn to love my God. I will fork it over to spend time with a friend.

A quality life is expensive.  But a quality life lasts.