I think each of us in our dealings with others need to concentrate on what we each are as good individuals & not on the material things we possess.

We can have the bells & whistles we want.

We should not use them to impress others.
Nice things are nice things for our personal pleasure only.
To much showing off of our goodies in life only leads to others wishing to have the goodies.
Wanting to have things that you go in to debt to have only encourages others to do the same.

I make it a part of my financial life to living below my means.
Money in the bank is security that others can not see & feel they are missing some thing to go in to debt for.

I replace a i6 year old car with a 9 year old car with 30,00 miles on it.
At the rate I drive it may well never have 100,000 miles in my life time.

I am a child of the great depression (1936)

My parents had a hard time getting a good start in life.
They did the best they could & I never personally felt any hard ship.
Or lack of love.

My child hood was a time of wonderment or life around me.

My father died in the mid 50s as I was becoming an adult.

While I was capable in many ways.
I was not truly prepared to be an adult.
I had been sheltered so much.

I had saved some money in bonds with my & my fathers name.
I hand been working & my father had gotten a job at the save place as I.
We were both laid off.
I was spending some time with my grandparents.

Collecting unemployment.
My father cashed the bonds & bought a restaurant & small bakery.

I came home. We lived in the building where the business was.
Being unemployed I had to accept a job in a plating factory.

I went one day. It was a dark smelly place & said it was not for me.
There was no next day there.

So I took on the role of baker.
I did fine. We even had several accounts we sold to.
The thing was I just got a few dollars here & there for a movie or a bit of spending money.
I has happy doing what I did.

My father was sick & died.
The business had give us food & a places to live.

Taxes came due.
My share for about six months was a bit over $3,500.
I had no real money of my own & had to borrow the money to pay my taxes.

I could not see me being able to handle the situation I gave the place to a waitress for what any out standing bills there were.
I don't recall what the conversation with my mother was on this matter.

I went to live with an aunt. My mother moved to the area we had lived in before.
I certainly was capable to be an adult. Just not in ways needed to help my mother, brother & sister.

A few jobs here & there, A taste of alcohol. Some time in the army.
Back at my aunts house.

My aunt thinks it is time for me to find a mate.
Meet the young lady & find it a good idea.
55 years & 7 children, 11 grandchildren 3 greatgrandchildren later.
I live with the thought in mind to have a stable life.

I was a good enough worker to make a living as a self employed handyman for 50 years.
I dealt with most of the same people for most of that time.

They gave me their problems & I did what I felt was appropriate in fixing the problems.

I just sent my bills for that I though was fair to all parties.
Money issues were not a big issue.

I have assets invested with more to invest.
My income at this time is mostly from social security.

I have a daugther whos coumpany went bankrupt.
I have been holding cash in the interest of buying a business she would like & one that can give her a lively hood & me a return on my investment.
So far she's has not acepted any ideas I have put forth.

It was a company she had worked for almost 20 years.
From high school on.
She is a very capable person & the one my wife & I have chosse to handle our personal affairs when needed.

In so many ways I feel that my life has been blessed.
It is an honest wish on my part that most people could have a life blessed much like mine has been.

As an adult I now feel that I have an obligation to reach out to others to show life in & of it's self is precious.
We just need to soften the harshness put in place by some.

Floyd, I agree with you. But this nation is drowning in consumer debt and in my opinion I think that is going to be the next bust, like the housing bust in 2008.

I drive a 17 year old pickup I bought when it was 5 years old and a 18 year old van I can't remember when I bought it. I have a 11 year old house on 100 acres that is paid for. I started investing in gold and silver and land years ago. Still ahead even at today's low metals prices. WAAAY ahead on the land. Bought this 100 acres for $500/acre in 1991.

You are in my parents generation. 7 children. My parents had 6. Your impressions of your time interest me because my siblings and I frequently try to understand why our parents did the things they did. They married very young, my father changed jobs frequently, and moved us around a lot. My father seemed to have no problem quitting a job before he had lined up another one and that was with 6 little children who needed to be housed and fed. I only had 2 kids to raise and would never dream of quitting a job before I had another one. I can only surmise that he had far more guts than me, or job mobility was far greater in the 50s and 60s than in my time.

Anyway your life story is a good read.