A to Z Challenge

A to Z of Resource Management

I was twenty-five and my first born was two years old, when one of our neighbors told me that in the US, people do not ask their children about how they spend their allowance. It was like a sting to my brain, because I remember not only did my mom ask me what we all did with our allowances, she made sure that we used it wisely. This to my neighbor was shocking. She then made a remark that sounded not too far from the truth. She said that she was not surprised that my husband and I were dependent on our parents for every decision we make. It was true that we not only sent money home, we let them know where our money went.  I did not want my children to be like us. I wanted them to have a spine and still be respectful and thoughtful.  I was confused and worried about how I was going to raise my children to be responsible adults. It just turned out that I would go with them to the corner store when they were elementary school age and watch them eagerly take out their money and buy comic books and candy. As they grew older the manner of their spending changed a little bit,  until they brought home the working papers. That was then when I told them that if they drive, they will be responsible for paying for gasoline, the auto insurance and repairs. That was harsh, but they liked to drive. Now they had a purpose for their money.

I still wonder if it was the limited source of money or obedience on our part that made us accountable  for the money we spent. 

People from all over the world have a desire to live in America. They do not realize that in the middle of abundance,  individuals and families alike are feeling the pinch, not so much in the way the money is spent but the way bills have to be paid. Buying things we need or even want sometimes is fine, but to keep buying things so you can have them is not the same as rich people buying properties so they can acquire them. The difference between a rich person of tomorrow and average people like us is that the future rich guy will spend his money in the things that promise him a good yield in his future and we the average people spend as we need to or even on impulse buying because we like what we see.  In the television show "King of Queens" Carrie gets upset when her father-in-law tells Doug (her husband) that Carrie is buying too many clothes, shoes, handbags etc. Later on Carrie thinks about the financial situation her and her husband were in and then realizes that her father-in-law was right and that she should watch her money and not be tempted by things she likes.