"Who are The Jones' and why do we have to keep up with them anyways"

Growing up , one thing that stands out about my mom was that she was very frugal. Well now I can see that she was frugal, then I just thought she was cheap. But joking aside, my mom knew how to save a buck, or two, or three... you get the point. One of the first times that I realized just how frugal she was is when I discovered that the cereal that she cleverly disguised in her Tupperware was not the same cereal that Toucan advertised on TV, but in fact it was some knockoff called " Fruit Rings". Really, cheap cereal, that was how my mom was going to keep the family in budget. But mom didn't stop there. She was the master of disguise in the kitchen.. She could take SPAM ( yes we actually ate that stuff) and BBQ sauce and turn it into "cuisine." She was the mom that popped popcorn at home and put it in her reused Ziploc( I mean generic) baggies and snuck it into the movies ( and that was before it cost an arm and a leg for popcorn). She was the mom that could make a whole different meal with a few leftovers. She was the mom who made gallons of Koolaid while we envied the kids who got Capri Sun pouches. We were not poor by any means, and looking back I see just how blessed we were. I now see that all of these little sacrifices, these resourceful ways my mom saved money, is what helped make it possible for her to be a stay at home mom. I joke about it but I do see that my parents worked hard, sacrificed "things" and lived frugally to show us what is really important in life. We did not get gifts and toys throughout the year but birthdays and Christmas were a big deal. We didn't eat out weekly but special dinners at the Bonanza Steakhouse were a big deal. We didn't take extravagant vacations but family fun weekend getaways were a big deal. My parents showed they loved us not with things but with their time and their sacrifice. So if being a " Jones" would erase all of that.... I am happy to be a Jenkins.