I grew up with little to no understanding of money beyond the fact that we didnt have any.One of my earliest memories was being sent to the front door when the landlady came for the rent and instructed to say Mommy not home while my parents hid the the back room.Luckily my dad found steady work and once I was in school my mom got a job, but habits and beliefs born of that kind of poverty, that early, stick around.
When I got my first job, at thirteen, became a savings fanatic.I still am.Now years later, I cash in deposit bottles just like I did as a kid, only instead of trading Coke bottles for a nickel for a Crunch bar, I save the change, roll it up and put it in the bank.That savings instinct is probably my best financial habit.Its also my worst one.
I have a real problem spending money.It took me a long time to be comfortable buying jumbo sized eggs (I still feel like a Rockefeller when I do that).I understand that the occasional splurge is fine (in the 80s I had a huge shoe collection and a terrific wardrobe) but now that Ive gotten older and retirement looms, I just.cant.It took me this long to realize that its okay to buy the big eggs.
Now Im working on getting up the gumption to splurge on a spa weekend.Still, I think saving money is a good problem to havemost of the time.Now excuse me while I roll up some quarters.YOUR TURNHow about you? Are you a saver? Did you have to learn how to spend? What do you consider a splurge? Share your thoughts in the comments!Virge Randall is Senior Planets Managing Editor.She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog Dont Get Me Started puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City.
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Publisher: Senior Planet ( Read More )
