Frugality is on its Way

One of life’s little rewards over the last few years is getting the car washed and polished. This I do every six months or so. By that stage the car is littered with all sorts of debris which I take out before I drive to the car wash. Our carwash is in Mittagong at one of those large shopping malls. There is a team of 4 or 5 young men, flat out with high pressure water sprays, an assortment of vacuum cleaners and squeezes, black paint for the final touch on the tires. The whole process takes an hour or so. After each of those car washes and polish I make a vow not to leave any rubbish in the car, ever!

 I follow the vow but not the grandkids. I found they had stuck chewing gum deep inside the door’s storage area. Also pop-up little drink bottles under the seats, lolly wrappers, and some ‘gay-time’ ice cream refuse.  Of course, Milo has a very luxurious bed at the back of the wagon with a small mattress and a variety of Indian pillows, a string of beads for toy, making him look Maharajah like from the Punjab region. His room at the back also has to be vacated and taken out.

I surrendered the car keys and was promised it would take about 90 minutes. This is always a difficult period to get through and one reason why Helvi usually leaves this to me to sort out. Big shopping malls are not her scene while I usually try and get a story out of it. A study of Australia at its most observable! There are usually a number of leather-like settees spread around the malls for some like-minded persons to settle into and either observe or take a nap or do both intermittently.

I bought the Australian because being a Monday Helvi had already bought the SMH for the TV program. I normally don’t buy any newspaper but those 90 minutes had to be gotten through somehow. Of course, I was immediately punished for this lapse in discretion. The front page had 8 million Australians portrayed as uneducated, analphabetic morons; all hopelessly illiterate and none could add 2+2 as well.

I got up in utter despair and bought a pork bun from an Asian outlet. I was the only customer and noticed a huge queue at Michelle’s, my most hated food outlet, where elderly ladies with blue or pink hair seem to settle for tea and scones or a mean sausage roll.

I went back with my pork bun and The Australian. I noticed very few shoppers about. This was strange and at 2 pm expected hordes of people. It was eerie. What’s going on? The shoe shop next to where I was sitting, the two shop girls all dressed in black were listlessly emptying some boxes and playing around with shoes on shelves. Not a single customer while I was seated there. Even the large sign with “The second Pair for Half Price” did not entice a single shopper.

I remember the article the previous Saturday in The SMH how Australia is starting to save and getting rid of credit card debts or mortgages. Was this now being played out in front of my eyes right then? Are people sated with goodies and coming to their senses? Have shopping come to a dead halt?

 The way home with my clean and sparkling car needed a stop- over in Bowral where I had to pick up my very old pair of RM Williams which I had booked in some days ago for e re-heel job. They were already overdue but the shoe maker was overwhelmed with repairing old shoes even though the shop employed 2 workers. He had apologized for the delay but told me they never had it so busy. So, there you are. A further confirmation of frugality with an increasing abstemious public keen on making things last and becoming more careful with opening their purse.

There is hope for all of us.