Mooch - Sis

Its funny to me that my brother brought up the topic of mooching. Like he wrote, we grew up “mooching a meal” from our grandma all the time. But sometimes kids can be mean and siblings are siblings. My brother use to call me a mooch all the time. I mean I always took it as a bad thing, but that is where we need to truly define the word. We are not talking about the multiple times I mooched my brother’s halloween candy he hid under his bed, or when I would mooch the dimes from his piggy bank because I knew he would notice if I mooched the quarters. My brother defines mooching as “the art of using things for cheap or free”. Mooching is taking something that is already there and just being smart about it. Once again like my brother said, “it's not being cheap or cheating someone.” I would like to say I taught my brother the art of mooching, or at least helped define it a little.
The first example is the weather! My family loves to go for walks. Growing up we would walk around a golf course at dusk. We would run around looking for golf balls that were left by lazy golfers during the day. Man, we should have tried to sell those bad boys because we had so many. Now our family walks are the time my husband and I have to talk to hash our issues or come up with great ideas. I have never came home from a walk feeling worse then when I left! Find a path by your house, or get to know your neighborhood. Play i-spy with little ones or the first one to find a certain object. Walks can be a wonderful way to spend time together as a family and mooch a little from mother nature.
The second example is your community. Growing up we use to go to an event called Parker Days. It was our town's fair.  Man can that weekend get expensive. You would buy the unlimited ride bracelet, multiple meals and lots of beverages. It all adds up and quickly. This is where we need to focus on the art of mooching. Pack a picnic, park a little further out and enjoy the free band. Maybe treat the kids to one ride they really want to go on but pass on the rest. You have to be the mooch, don’t fall into the fair’s tricks and think you need to keep up with everyone else. Try going to events at “off” times to miss large amounts of people can also be a strategy to maximizing your experience.
The third mooch is friends and relatives. Well I like to mooch off my brother all the time! He has skills like proof reading, and knowledge about computer stuff that I just don't. He is full of advice and support. He has saved my family countless of times where we would have to had paid someone. Another example is my uncle. He is a policeman and really good with guns. My husband wanted to get a gun. This is where I keep things general because it is his hobby not mine and I know very little. Well he wanted to get the more expensive updated version of the gun. He asked my uncle what he would suggest and it turned out there is a brand that is half the price that you can customize yourself that all the cops use. That one conversation saved my husband hundreds of dollars and he got a better gun. Use the people around you. We all have things we have extra knowledge about or a strong skill set. On the flip side, let people mooch off you a little here and there. Share your skills, your home or your presence with others because the favor will be returned.
The last mooch for today is the government. The government is full of exciting surprises. Heck, they have even given us PAID holidays where you get the day off! There are plenty of beautiful parks that you don’t have to pay anything to use. By our house there is a little lake. It is a great space to take the family on a nice day and go fishing, biking or simply walk around. Be thankful for the hidden gems in your area and use them to your advantage. Every community had free space to use. Try doing some research about a community near by and discover their hidden gems.

Life does not have to be expensive. There are plenty of people and place you can use to your advantage and mooch off of. Respect the mooching process and those that let you use things for cheap or free.

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