Up, down, up, down. The market’s making me nuts. And, just as many of you are learning about frugality for the first time, you’re also becoming more politically astute. Admit it. You watched the debate, not because you needed to add more negatives to your day, but because you wanted someone to tell you how government is going to fix this mess. And, therein lies the problem. Government fix is an oxymoron.
Anything we get from government, we pay for. Let’s look at healthcare. Whether we get $5k from McCain, or join the government plan as Obama proposes, neither is free. Taxpayers will foot the tab. And, as much as both candidates are telling us it won’t come out of our pockets, come on. We know better. It will. If government takes it from big business, big business takes it back in higher prices so stockholders are happy, which means the market quits going south, which means our 401k’s don’t implode which means… It’s a circle, and as part of the circle, we face Newton’s law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Fixing it is up to us.
I checked this morning for some ‘wow!’ insights to help. Frugal Fanny has 6 tips for stretching her $5,416 monthly income. (Let’s not get testy, there. She’s an MIT grad. Personally, I figured she’d make more.) Her big wow? How she thinks about money: Saving vs. debt; putting her spending facts on paper; not worrying about what the neighbors are doing; no bulk buying. I think we covered this in needs vs. wants, which this statistic says we better get our heads around:
73%? Then she saves 15% and budgets $400 for FUN? Damn!
But, we’re beyond that. No one provided us such wisdom (or we didn’t listen) before we consumerized our life. Still, we’re learning. We’ve cut back on big-ticket spending. And, food prices are coming down, as are gas prices. That’s big help IF we don’t turn around and hand it back to the Holiday Fairy. Which is already stressing us out. Which is already making us ask, what else can I cut? Which makes us worry about how disappointed the kids are gonna be…
Here’s a thought. Let’s give our children or grand-children a truly great gift this year: values about balancing budgets and living within their means. Let’s teach them about stretching dollars to pay for needs and saving for wants. Let’s teach them they’re ok, good, whole, wonderful – even if they don’t own THE toy of the season or some fashionistas’ latest, greatest (for the older kids).
Last year we had the grandkids for a sleepover. We made cookies, toured some mega-sports store, ate subs (used coupons of course). Then, we went to Walmart where they chose Angels and picked out items for those Angels as their Christmas gift from us. Our six-year-old now separates toys out for the poor kids. The others (ages 8 – 12) have all asked if we can do it again. Kids aren’t too young to learn, to understand, to start gaining financial values that I wish I’d have figured out sooner. The challenge is breaking their little hearts. Who wants to say, “No Virginia, there is no Santa Clause,” (or whatever that quote was)?
No problem. This year, you can Let Santa Help. It’s a unique idea that will probably reduce a lot of stress this season. But, whether you use this site or not, I hope you’ll think about the benefits both you and your kids can realize when financial responsibility joins the list of critical values a caring parent teaches.
Vote November 4th.
One of them will be spending your money. You should help decide which one.
