Financial Ramblings: Part 2

I just read what I wrote yesterday. It seemed like I was whining about what we don't have. That's not the case at all! I don't want new clothes or new furniture. I don't want a fancy dining room or an in-ground pool. I really don't care what other people think about some of our old furniture or worn out clothes. I think it's more important to spend your money on things You REALLY want, not what you need to impress other people.

That being said, my husband and I have made two major purchases this week. Although these are big ticket items, I justify them by not being frivolous in other places. Hubby found a fantastic deal on a plasma TV on the new 'Black Friday'; the Friday after Halloween. The price was still high, but it was something that would work great in his den. I convinced him to get it and I'm glad I did. Yesterday, though, he had second thoughts. It WAS still a lot of money and he couldn't justify it. But we don't splurge very often and we work really hard. I still believe he should keep it and enjoy.

We are also getting an invisible fence for the dogs. I get so sick of tying them outside. They get tangled around the deck posts and I have to always have to go out and retrieve them. Again, it will cost a lot of money, but I haven't bought any clothes for myself in months. My kids get hand-me-downs that are in perfect shape. I personally believe our clothing budget alone is extremely low. There are other categories of spending that we don't use much. I just feel that when there is a big ticket item, it's not that big of a splurge.

Anyway, back to my money ramblings... I think of generations past when money was scarce and people learned to live without. Their houses were not grand. Clothing was homemade. Any money that was earned was treated with great respect. They called it 'Yankee Thrift', but I call it good judgement.

Fast forward to our current generation.

I'm still amazed at the lavish lifestyles I see all around me. I won't go on about our neighborhood, but I see it everyday. When people make a certain amount of money, they make sure to spend it. If the generations of yesterday saw this, they would be horrified. I'm not suggesting that people with good jobs go without. I'm only saying that we should all be living below our means. We've changed our priorities. Instead of saving our money for emergencies, we take that money and buy the newest clothes or furniture, or take lavish vacations. We're not making money to live; rather, we are living to make money. Any one of us could certainly live with a lot less. The house that costs $100,000 is certainly just as warm and comfortable as the $400,000 house. There may not be as many rooms, but why do you need two extra bedrooms, two or three living rooms, or three or four bathrooms? Our house is modest in comparison to a lot of houses around us. But our kids use our bathroom to take showers even though they have their own bathroom. We have a spare bedroom for guests, but whatever happened to the children sleeping on the living room floor so guests could use their rooms? These days people don't want to inconvenience their children. No wonder kids have so little respect for adults!!

I think I was born into the wrong generation. I always seem to be going against the ideas of everyone around me. My frustration wears on me and I have to constantly remind myself to let it go. Actually my husband is always telling me to let it go and he's right. I can't change the world. I can't change the mindset of modern man. I guess if I'm happy with myself and the way we are raising our children, it doesnt' matter where the modern world is going.

I only hope I truly believe that.