A Lesson on Budgetting

Yesterday I bought my 8-yr-old nephew to an optical shop nearby to have a spectacle made. He was diagnosed short-sighted months ago but his parents have not been doing anything about it. Maybe they are cash-tight.

After a thorough check-up, it was confirmed that his left eye has short-sightedness. He dutifully tried on a few spectacle frame models to select his first "facial" accessory.

Unfortunately the particular model he picked costed S$100 which was way out of my budget. I frankly told him that and suggested him to select a cheaper frame so that I can still have some cash to get him a birthday present next month. Otherwise, it would be that S$100 frame and no present.

Being a subject of pampering from grandparents and parents, it was a tough decison for him, but a good exercise for him to realise that he cannot always have "his cake and eat it".

So he finally chose the cheaper S$68 frame.

Later when my dad, his doting grandfather, came to pick him home, I told him what happened. Unknowingly, my father drove him back to the optical shop, topped-up the $32 difference, and the boy finally had his frame changed to the S$100 one.

I know, it was such a let-down. The doting grand-dad had ruined the budgetting life-lesson I was trying to impart onto the boy.

When it comes to rearing children, sometimes "so many cooks really spoil the broth".