Garage Sale

So, I've been selling a few of my things as I'm approaching my departure date and I'm come to realize a few things about how people buy here.  (First of all, I was encouraged by a Nicaraguan and other PCVs to sell rather than give away so people don't expect other visitors/volunteers just to give things away or always bring things for free).  Ok, so the selling/buying process...

Most people buy things on "credit", which isn't referring to a credit card, but more like "put it on my tab", except when that tab will get paid off, no one knows.  I've been trying not to do that, but my host family is really bad about that because they want to buy everything and then they always claim to not have any money.  Hmmm, maybe you shouldn't buy the things then?  Shopaholics?  I think so. 

Another thing is that they're always asking for more things to buy, like walking in my room and asking me if I'm selling the things hanging up or sitting on my desk, or even my clean laundry hanging out to dry and the sweaty blouse that I'm currently wearing.  Awkward.  Um, no I'm not selling you my clothes off my back.  It's funny because when I say that I'm not buying something, they say, oh well I really like it so that's too bad because I would buy it.  Really, I'm ok with you not buying ALL of my clothes, thanks.  Sorry if I'm being too sarcastic, but I got a little peeved today. 

What's next? Oh yeah, the prices.  The prices are always, dramatically, too high, yet when I don't reduce my astronomically high prices (since I've already reduced them plenty), they buy the stuff anyway.  Ok, obviously the price wasn't as terrible as you made me feel guilty for since you were willing to pay it.

Here's another one for ya.  Drives me crazy.  They love to ask what items can be used for, over and over again.  Ok, if it was something not sold here or something odd looking, I'd be a little more patient, but if somebody asks me what they can do with a glue stick one more time, I might explode.  Hahaha  I hope I don't have a mental breakdown over a glue stick. 

And, back to the money issue.  Something that pushed me over the edge today.  My family is constantly buying things, but surprisingly, they always tell me they never have money (as mentioned above).  Funny how that happens, right?  Well, today I sold a few things to students and such, then brought some stuff home with Melissa and I was telling her about my family and their absurd amount of clothes and how they're always buying clothes and asking me for more clothes.  After Melissa left and I ran an errand, I came back home and here is a lady sitting in our front room selling yet more clothes to my family.  Seriously?  I think they seriously have a clothes addiction.  Anyway, I saw them looking through things and I hung out a bit just to see what the prices were and if they were going to buy anything.  Well, there they were haggling, trying to get the lowest prices.  This poor lady.  I felt so bad because she probably doesn't make much off these clothes and that's most likely her only job, walking around house to house selling whatever clothes she buys in bulk from Managua.  Then, my family, who has money, gives her a hard time for "high" prices.  Ok, I will admit that haggling is a big part of the culture here, but sometimes it just seems harsh.  Anyway, my family picked out their things after awhile and I happened to be there when my sister (who still owed me quite a bit from my clothes) hands the lady a large bill to pay for these clothes.  I was a little surprised.  I thought she would have at least begged her mom to buy her something, but she had the money.  I had to call her out on this one.  I asked "and my money, Ruth?"  She looked a little embarassed, but not very much and said that she had told me before that she would pay me at the end of the month.  Seriously?  It really just made me feel like they were taking advantage of me.  They really do have money, but they want to pay me when it's most convenient for them.  Yeah, it stung.

After all that, my sister came into my room to pay me (I'm pretty sure her husband gave her a hard time and she felt bad) which I think was the right thing for her to do.  After my host mom haggled over prices with me later though, I just lost it and really wanted to leave right then.  I was selling clothes for a few cents over a dollar and the prices were still too "high".  I had to close my door and separate myself from the situation.  Unfortunately, Melissa is dealing with the same things from her host family.  Since they live out in a rural area, they have a little more reason to want lower prices, but they were asking her to just give them everything.  We both have given many things to our families over the past two years, so it's not that we're trying to just get a lot of money out of them.  Really, our prices are very low and we're mainly trying to get rid of our extras, but not just give them away to avoid that expectation that people from the US are extremely rich and will give you whatever you want. 

Sorry about all the venting here, but it just frustrates me a little.  I just don't like feeling taken advantage of.  I know my family loves me and loves having me here, but the matter of buying/selling and anything to do with money is always not fun to deal with.