| Are
you concerned that the cost of some items in today's world
is soaring and others are staying about the same? It seems
unbalanced to me. Real estate is especially inflated.
For example, we paid $850 for our first lot in Fraser
Fields. A year later, we paid twice as much for the lot
behind us. Today, the same property sells for many thousands
of dollars! This same thing happened in Los Angeles where
I grew up; houses that originally sold for $15,000 inflated
to hundreds of thousands of dollars; it was unbelievable!
Living
as long as I have and seeing property grow in value, I
have noted that my friends who made the easiest money
did so by dealing in real estate. However, they did not
buy at top dollar; they bought when prices were low and
waited for it to appreciate. They found
empty land that was worth but little, bought it at a bargain,
waited patiently for it to increase in value, and ended
up making small fortunes.
My
heart goes out to newlyweds. In today's world, I fear
some of our young couples might be caught in a trap as
prices soar; it bothers me that they are burdened with
high mortgage payments. What goes up can come down. They
could lose all they have worked for and dreamed of should
a recession or catastrophe occur. Authorities advise us
to set aside enough funds and goods to last a year.
It
is so important to save $! It is so peaceful
to save $! It doesn't have to be much, but it should be
set aside consistently. By not owning a car and by using
either my folk's vehicle or public transportation, I was
able to save $100 by the time I married in 1938. That
would be equal to several thousand dollars these days.
It wasn't much, but we were surely glad we had it. Here
are some ways we conserved: we rode our bicycles, rarely
drove our car or ate out, ate no meat, drank no sodas
nor liquor, nor did we gamble. Our wardrobe was not expanded
unnecessarily. By using tennis as our sport, we spent
very little money on athletics. Our lifestyle was simple;
our time was used wisely; our lives were orderly and in
control. However, as I look back, I realize that we did
go to the movies too often.
Being
frugal does not mean being stingy; we can still be generous
contributors. Certainly, we will want to tithe our income
so God can open the windows of heaven and pour out His
blessings! We would be wise to keep a written record of
our income and outgo. We can not expect to "play
it by ear" regarding money matters and be as successful
as we would be if we kept careful records.
It
will pay us to be humble and wise in all of our Money
Matters.
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