I don't like using the phrase "We can't afford it." It sounds a whole lot like whining. And it's not really true, because I CAN reasonably afford almost anything, if I make earning money a priority. I believe I can be a millionare, or a billionare, even, if I want to. But I don't want to.
When my kids ask for something I hadn't planned on buying, I don't tell them I can't afford it. I say, "No. Buying it isn't a priority right now." I'm not choosing not to buy it due to an inherent inability to procure the funds, but because Andy and I have much, much MUCH better ways to spend our precious gift of time than earning money to buy stuff we don't need.
When we do want something that isn't a bona fide necessity, we try to abide by the golden rule of The Great Depression: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Sometimes creativity escapes us and we just have to "do without" ... and believe it or not, we're still around. That's not to say we're constantly in survival mode and don't have any fun around here. Quite the contrary, as it's a huge priority in our family to make use of our creative spirit, since we believe human creativity echoes the glory of the Creator himself.
So, armed with a sense of adventure, a mind for creativity, and whatever's laying around, I've discovered so many opportunities to repurpose useless stuff into useful stuff. So, to kick off this series, I give you:
THE CURTAIN ROD & DUCT TAPE FIELD HOCKEY STICK! 
WANT? Ronnie got a taste of field hockey at a mini-camp taught by local high-schoolers. Now she wants her own field hockey stick so she can practice at home. Actually, she wants Alexa to have a stick, too, so they can play together.
So, the want is: 2 junior field hockey sticks
COST? A good junior stick costs about $25. So, that's $50 for two.
IS IT A PRIORITY? No, not right now. Ronnie's not even old enough to play on a team yet. Alexa actually doesn't really care about getting a stick. She thinks hockey sticks are golf clubs, anyway. So I'm not really motivated to provide something legit.
IS THERE ANYTHING LAYING AROUND THAT COULD BE USED INSTEAD? Our house's previous owners left behind a new-in-package aluminum curtain rod in the basement. If I pull it apart, I have two long rods with bent ends. They kind of look like hockey sticks. But they're really too long for kids to use safely. And they're a little flimsy.
CAN I MAKE IT DO? Yes. Since it's aluminum, I can bend the rods to customize the length. And I can reinforce them with duct tape. As long as the girls don't use anything heavier than a Wiffle Ball, the rods can approximate field hockey sticks.
CONCLUSION: For a grand total of $0, plus about 10 minutes of time, and perhaps 10 drops of sweat equity, Ronnie and Alexa now own sport equipment that, while not pretty looking (it's admittedly hard to let my aesthetic guard down), IS pretty functional. AND we saved $50 from being spent. The only problem is that Penny's annoyed she doesn't have a stick, too. I'm sure I can find another curtain rod around here somewhere...
