My New Blog

WWGD

    Most of us have heard the expression WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?)  A few weeks ago I read an article which discussed budgeting.  The basic premise of the article was, when considering making a purchase or spending money on anything, ask yourself, "What would Grandma do?" (WWGD).

    I am writing my first blog as a tribute to my grandmother, Edith Schroll, who will turn 90 years old next week, March 19.  I can tell you what my grandma would do, she would "make do" with what she had!  My grandmother got married in 1935, in the midst of The Great Depression, and, by 1944, she had 4 sons.  She dedicated her life to being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.  Despite difficult financial circumstances during the early years of her marriage, she always happily "made do".  She NEVER complained.  I still have a flannel blanket that she sewed from scraps of fabric that her sister brought to her from the pajama factory in Hanover. 

    I learned so much from my Gram.  The greatest gift she ever gave to me was her time.  Gram had all of the time in the world for me...that is something that money can never buy and those fond memories are something that will never be taken away from me.  They are truly priceless!  Gram introduced me to reading and would read to me until I fell asleep.  Consequently, I learned to read at quite a young age and love to read to this very day...perhaps it is the warm memories that I have of that special time snuggling with her.  When I was able to read, I read to her until she fell asleep.

    Getting back to the "making do" part and budgeting, which most often evokes feelings of deprivation and struggle, the creative ways in which Gram "made do" are remarkable.  I don't ever recall feeling deprived because she had a way of making things fun.  She hung out her wash every Monday to save electricity from Spring to Fall.  To make wash day fun, she would hang a washline for me to wash my doll's clothes and hang them out with her.  Gram taught me how to sew and she taught me embroidery.  We made our own potholders and many other very inexpensive crafts.  Again, it was time spent together. 

    Gram taught me to never be afraid of a little hard work.  She had a part-time job at the apple orchard, in the packing area for a brief time.  She saved all of her money.  One Saturday afternoon, Gram and I went to the jewelry store on the Hanover Square and bought my grandfather a ruby birthstone ring.  What an awesome feeling to see my grandfather's face when he opened that present!  I learned the joy of giving.  Gram had a big garden and I spent many an hour with her weeding that garden and picking vegetables.  She taught me how to can vegetables, make homemade pot pie and the fun of making applesauce.  She had the most beautiful flower beds.  I had such fun sneaking outside with the pruning shears, making a bouquet and surprising Gram with her own flowers.  She didn't waste anything.  She recycled her eggshells and coffee grounds into mulch for her flower beds.  Most importantly, Gram taught me how to laugh and make the most out of life.  If I would say I was bored, she would reply, "Tam, we all make our own fun".  The best life advice that she ever gave to me was, "when you meet a man in a bar, that's where you're always gonna find him!"  Boy was she right...and that one I learned the hard way!

    My grandparents didn't live an extravagant lifestyle.  They never bought a new car, always used, didn't go to fancy restaurants and they didn't spend frivolously.  They saved their money.  Consequently, my grandmother is able to live comfortably, for 17 years now since my grandfather passed away, because of the manner in which they chose to live responsibly, within their means. 

    We, as a society, need to embrace and enjoy the simple life again.  There's something to be said for eliminating financial stress from your life. We need to stop trying to keep up with our friends, co-workers and neighbors by purchasing material items that we can't afford, which only serve to limit our life choices in the long run and ultimately drown ourselves in debt.  Truth be told, the "Jone's" probably can't afford their lifestyle either!!  In closing, I will admit that I, personally, have not always made the wisest choices in my own financial affairs and have made more than my fair share of mistakes.  I can say, though, that I am making a concerted effort to read, learn and grow each and every day and am working diligently to take control of my finances rather than letting my finances control me.  A friend of mine created a wonderful Excel spreadsheet for budgeting which automatically calculates your "spendable" cash after expenses.  If you want to take control of your financial affairs and would like this spreadsheet, please e-mail me at tzambito@profirstmortgage.com and I will gladly forward it to you.

    The next time you are struggling with whether or not to buy something when you are shopping on-line or are at the mall, let grandma be your conscience!