Learning from our Elders!

We can learn a lot from our elders!  My parents were children of parents that survived the Great Depression.  They learned to live on the basics.  They did not spend money on "extras."  They did not take out loans or use credit in any way, shape, or form!  And, they still don't!  They have a very nice, but modest home and are not struggling to "get by."  They don't have to have the latest and greatest!  They drive their vehicle until it is used-up, and they have cash to pay for their next automobile. 

When I was growing up we did not eat-out!  My parents did not spend a "night on the town" every weekend!  And, as their child, I did not feel I was missing a thing!  In fact, I felt lucky!  We did chores together.  We cooked together.  We had dinner together every night at the table.  We played games, usually cards, and it was fun!  We laughed.  We talked about our days!  We did homework at the kitchen table.  We were ALWAYS together.  On the weekends, we did extra chores together on the farm.  We chopped, loaded, hauled, and stacked wood for the furnace.  We had friends over for dinner (nothing fancy) and played cards.  We only got two channels on the television, but we occassionally watched a show or two, with a bowl of popcorn my mom made in a pan on the stove.  My mom made fresh dinner rolls every week.  We ate a lot of brown beans and cornbread because it was cheap, but it was delicious.  My dad did everything.  Whatever needed done, from auto repairs to any home maintenance or projects, he learned how to do the project, and did all the work himself.  My parents knew how to SAVE $$$, and they did!  We didn't go on lavish vacations.  We went camping or took a driving vacation to visit interesting places, staying at inexpensive hotels, stopping for a cave tour or putt putt golf, along the way.  In later years, my parents were able to afford a small ski boat and we stayed at a nearby lake for a week during the following summers, fishing, skiing, and boating.  We made wonderful memories!

We need to learn from our elders!