As I have absolutely no new thoughts for today, I am going to link you up to a somewhat popular/controversial post I did last summer on why J and I don’t save money or have a savings account. This post led to some great discussion. Ultimately, I still stand by 99.9% of what I wrote, but I did follow it up with a post about a bit of humble pie (served up warm) by my darling mother. Between those two posts, I suspect you should be able to get your Low Ryder fix until I am feeling inspiring again.
I choose the word “fix” because I fancy myself so captivating that you, like addicts, wait for my next post. Do I have self-love issues? Maybe.
I have decided to ask a little question of you, Reader-Who-So-Discerningly-Chose-to-Follow-TLR . . .
What is your philosophy of savings? Let’s discuss. I do so love a discussion . . .
My idea of savings is probably pretty much the same as your mom’s. Not surprising since we grew up together under the influence of your grandmother.
I have a savings account with automatic deposit from my paycheck. It is there for a cushion in my old age (I’m not there yet) and as a source for blessing others. I figure it’s God’s money, not mine. If He should decide to leave it there for me to use later in life when I may need it – fine. If He should put it upon my heart that others need it now – very fine. I have used it for missionaries (like your dad), college students who need books, friends and family in financial squeezes, and other things I can’t even remember. Sometimes I give it openly and sometimes anonymously – that’s even more fun! I feel privileged and humble and blessed to be used by God to bless others and that’s even better than financial security.
That’s not to say there aren’t other ways to bless people. You are a blessing to me and you’ve never given me a cent. You have graced me with several delicious lunches, though… 🙂
My hubby and I like to think of money and, therefore, savings, as representing choices. So by earning and saving money, we are actually earning and collecting a wider and wider range of choices. These choices include everything from the food we can eat, the clothes we can wear,to the charities we can support. We’ve been finding that having more choices not only brings greater pleasure in and of themselves (even we like to eat something other than beans and rice occasionally :), but it also removes a huge degree of stress, which adds infinitely to our enjoyment of life.
Having savings also allows us to dream. For example, someday we would love to be in the position to support ourselves on the missions field. That may be decades away, but we are making choices today that will facilitate both our short term and long term goals.