This is Part 3 of the Hope Chest Series. If you missed the Hope Chest Series Introduction, or Part 1: “What’s in my Hope Chest?” or Part 2, “What am I adding to my Hope Chest?” you can find them here, here, and here.
Having a Hope Chest is like having a saving account for your marriage or future life.
Hope Chest = Savings Account
Like the picture of the piggy bank above with the two wedding bands, a hope chest is a “cedar bank,” if you will, with the supplies you need to bring to a marriage or to a life on your own. Savings Accounts accumulate over time, as will your hope chest, and when the time comes, you can withdraw from it. With a savings account, you gradually put more money into it, and normally the deposits are painless. When you are able to withdraw from that savings account, however–there is no pain whatsoever in seeing the fruits of your additions. With a hope chest, you are saving for the future, though (often) not in monetary terms, and all the hope and joy is great, indeed!
How is Having a Hope Chest a Frugal Decision?
As discussed in the previous paragraph, a hope chest is gradually added to. Normally, people buy items while they are cheaper, on sale, or make the items themselves. Also, since most hope chest collections are added to by teenagers–parents are involved, Christmas is involved, and birthdays are involved! Although the items are only added a little at a time, the price of the items ultimately adds up to where if you had to buy all the items at once, it would definitely be a burden against your bank account. Little by little is the way to go, whether your items are homemade or whether your parents buy the items, or whether you do–overall, the decision to have a hope chest is a frugal one!
Think of the Joys Later…
After accumulating these items over time, and not hurting your budget or band account, the time FINALLY comes when you get married or live on your own. The joy that comes from looking at this grand accomplishment of SAVING items (and ultimately money) and using these items, without having to strain yourself to buy the necessary items, is, I can imagine, quite great–not to mention the items that you make yourself. (Talk about a boost of self-esteem!)
Knowing you will not have to spend a lot of money on the things, such as silverware, dishware, and cooking utensils, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, wash rags, etc, which can be quite expensive when bought all together (and without all the great sales), is enough to celebrate! Yay!
Do I Recommend Having a Hope Chest?
You bet I do!! 🙂 Would you?
NEXT: The final article to the Hope Chest Series (for now), Part 4: “Scriptural Reasons for Having a Hope Chest.”
Zealous Dedication 