- Image by jswieringa via Flickr
If you read the prologue, you know that financial reflection can be something that is a benefit, and something that is extremely hard to do. You have to be able to look at not only the good things you do financially, but face the bad things, and the mistakes you have made to really look at you financial situation, and that is how to look in the financial mirror.
My look in the financial mirror has been both good, and painful, I have had to face the wonderful things I have done with my financial life, and the stupid, bonehead decisions I have made. Whenever you are trying to face those things, look at the positive, negative, positive, and lessons learned. So what are some of the good things I have done over my financial life?
Well first off, as a young child, and teen I was an excellent saver. Much of that came from my parents. Both were savers, and really excelled at managing money, and saving. I can remember being about 12 or 13 and wanting a VCR. Now that may not sound like a big deal, but when I was 12 or 13, VCRs cost about $300. The cost of a blu-ray player today.
So I saved, and my sister joined in. Soon enough we had saved almost $250.00. Now with our hard work and savings, our parents chipped in the remainder, and we bought a really good VCR. So good in fact I think it only finally died a few years ago. Yet the point behind it is that it taught me the value of saving, and save I did. I saved so well in fact, that I never really worried.
Now In the bonehead section I will talk about some bonehead moves I made, but because of the good lessons I learned in my early years I was always ready to overcome the obstacles, find new solutions, and generate savings. Sometimes however the boneheaded moves, and pain can even make that difficult.
More in part II…..
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I never was much of a saver.So my kids aren’t either.
Dr. John´s last blog ..Our Governments at Work
My parents were, but I lost some of that in translation. One of the bigger problems, is we try to teach values, and just overall how to be a good person, but part of that needs to be financial management to our children.
Too often financial management isn’t taught! I know I received no lessons in it.
As a kid I was a great saver. It wasn’t quite so easy as an adult — but as a kid, I only had to buy the things I really wanted, my parents supplied my needs. Then, as an adult, I am meeting my own needs (rent, food, utilities, clothes, transportation) and suddenly there was no money for wants, which I was accustomed to having, so I racked up credit card bills. I am out from under that now, and have learned my own lessons about wants …..
quilly´s last blog ..Mi Casita Restaurant
Very true. And very valuable. I often worry that my own children will be unprepared for the shock of paying for not only their wants, but their needs as well some day. How to teach them without being punishing however is the tightrope.