It’s been a stressful time for all of us! My sister and I were just wondering how we lost as much money as we did! I said, “Gee, how did we have that much money to loose?” My Dad never had any money, maybe that’s why he was so short tempered. My Mom always had a little stash somewhere. She didn’t call it that, but if there was a dance coming up and I wanted a new dress to wear, it was my Mom who said…”here…don’t tell your Dad!” Of course my Dad would take me aside and give me $20 and say, “Here, get something special.” But, where are your Mom and Dad now?
My Mom knew how to save. Saving was a big deal in our house. Everything was saved…who knew when you might need that extra material, or the jars for canning jam. My Mom made dinners that were delicious and really homemade. We had pinto beans, and enchiladas, and salads…then we would have tortillas and beans and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and then we would have tacos or tostadas for dinner, boy could that woman stretch a budget. She made dinner with what ever she had in the house. It was good.
However, now we live in a world with drive thru windows which we call dinner. We have had credit cards so we can buy whatever we want, whenever we want. We have gotten used ot the idea of pay later. But times have changed, and maybe it’s for the better? Maybe it’s time to reassess our way of living. My daughter has a boyfriend that lives on a cash only basis. He has a cell phone that he pays as he goes, he doesn’t have a credit card. He doesn’t owe any money. He also doesn’t own a lot of things. Somehow, he gets along.
Now maybe that’s not how I’d like to live, but there is a good feeling about know what you have and it’s not going to be taken away…and knowing what you need. I like that feeling of freedom.
People are fearful and stressed because they don’t know how they will be affected by the financial turmoil that is taking place. Times seem tough, but are they simply a feeling from the culture? or are you going to really suffer from all this downturn. Can you do something to change your own individual outcome?
So I developed a little workshop for folks, “Mind over Matters” it will be a free workshop at Cavallopoint – the lodge at the Golden Gate, Thursday morning October 23rd. in Sausalito, California. You are invited. It’s free.
