UNCOMMON CENTS 42

YOU ARE ALIVE! YOU ARE FREE! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE YOUR HAPPINESS! SO WHY SACRIFICE AND SAVE FOR YOUR FUTURE? BECAUSE IT IS THE 'RIGHT' COURSE TO PURSUE? BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? BECAUSE IT BUCKS THE POPULIST DOWNWARD TREND TO HEDONISTIC IRRESPONSIBILITY? BECAUSE YOUR ADMIRERS WILL BE FEW? SOMEHOW THIS RHETORICAL SELF-EXAMINATION RINGS TRUE THIS TIME OF YEAR. WALKING DOWN THE ROAD TO WEALTH, ADULTS FACE THE CHALLENGE OF BALANCING THREE PRIORITIES, 1. INNATE NEEDS, 2. INDIVIDUAL WANTS AND 3. FUTURE SAVINGS. BUT HOW MANY ADULTS NEGLECT TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR RETIREMENTS AND THEN EXPECTING THE GOVERNMENT, IN THE FORM OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM FELLOW CITIZENS - STRANGERS AND FRIENDS ALIKE - TO BE THE SOURCE OF THEIR EXTRICATION?

SO, PAY YOURSELF FIRST, PAY CASH AND AVOID DEBT AS YOU ASSESS YOUR CHOICES ABOUT YOUR BASIC NEEDS - HOUSING, FOOD, CLOTHING AND FUEL. AS YOU ASSESS HOW TO SATISFY YOUR WANTS. AS YOU ASSESS THE MEANS TO PUT ASIDE MONEY DAILY, WEEKLY, BY PAYCHECK OR PAYMENT, INTO AN IRA, A 401K, A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, A TREASURY BOND, A U.S. STOCK MUTUAL FUND, A BOND FUND OR AN INTERNATIONAL FUND. SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE EASY BUT SATISFACTION FROM PURSUING YOUR GOAL TO SAVE MONEY WILL EASE YOUR MIND.

DO I NEED ANOTHER PAIR OF SHOES OR DO I JUST WANT ANOTHER PAIR OF SHOES? IF I WANT TO FEED THE BIRDS I COULD TRADE THE $4 OR $8 IN SEED FOR AN EXTRA SET OF FOOTWEAR I DON’T NEED. DOES MY THERMOSTAT NEED TO BE HIGHER THAN 71 DEGREES OR DO I WANT MY THERMOSTAT HIGHER TO AVOID WEARING LONG SLEEVES, A SWEATER OR SLIPPERS? SAVING ENERGY, OBVIOUSLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO, SAVES MONEY. DO I NEED TO JOIN THE CROWDS, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION A WEEK, THAT AUTOMATICALLY ATTEND A MOVIE WITHOUT ANY STANDARDS FOR SELECTIVITY OR PRICE? IF I WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED I COULD TRADE THE $20, POPCORN AND 2 HRS. WILED AWAY AND LOST FOREVER AT A THEATER FOR A RENTED FLIC AND POP-SECRET'S $.30 BAG OF MICROWAVE POPCORN. COULD I DISMISS THE FRIVOLITY OF THE TANNING PARLOR, NAIL SALON OR DESIGNER PERFUME, INSTEAD PUTTING MY FREE TIME AND DISCRETIONARY CASH TO BETTER USE BAKING FOR A WORTHY CHARITY? EVEN YOURS TRULY?

HINT: TRY TO REMEMBER THE NEW ENGLAND MAXIM. 'USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT; MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT,' ONCE A DAY WITH A SMILE IN YOUR HEART KNOWING IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.