2001-05-27 - 21:55 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Pay As You Go

Much back story here, some already in my archives the rest not pertinent to subject matter tonight.

I had quit high school and went to work. Mom and Dad didn't like it but cut me some slack in sympathy for my foundered, besotted puppy love affair. I found a job downtown and was able to ride in to work with them and ride home with them. Also I did my share of work at home, which wasn't much in the new house.

About the second paycheck I received, Mom and Dad discussed reality with me. Dad said, "You know that we could have made you move out on your own when you quit school and went to work. You would have had rent to pay and groceries to buy as well as carfare or live in a flop house." Mom said, "So, you are our son and welcome to live here with us. However we have two things that must be lived up to -- ten per cent of your wages must be banked in a savings account in your name and forty dollars board and room must be paid to your Dad every month."

Maybe I should have been shocked to make a landing on real earth. But I wasn't, the depression was about over and my memory of what they went through to assure our survival then was still fresh in my mind.

Seemed fair to me and I silently mourned the spendable amount going in to a savings account -- not to be touched. But I knew that eventually it would be available for lifes later needs and agreed with no argument.

Much later in my life I came to the realization that Mom had spent every cent of the rent money on things for me.

As job followed job for me the ten per cent savings monthly deposit grew as my wages went up, but the rent stayed at forty dollars.

I did this until I married and moved out. The practise did me good and enabled Heather and I to do what was needed in our new household in the financial area of our lives. We learned to figure bills first and take out that money, projected groceries and needs next, then what was left we could use as we wished. Sometimes we acted foolishly and blew a few dollars, but never bill money or the money to be used for survival.

The sums of money coming in to us was never large, but it was steady, the treasury bloat allowed a show downtown or a dinner at something better than the usual ulcer gulch fare, once in a while. When we went to a show, the meal consisted of Rocky Bilt hamburgers or chili at the same place. Never in our youthful marriage were we able to do both in the same time slot.

Hell, we didn't care. We were in our own home, living as we saw fit and admiring our ability to do as older married's did.

It was a good thing we got a bit of practise, we were married in June of 1943 and our first born made the scene in June of 1944, a few days short of a year after our marriage. So we built a family with occasional alone together times when we could find a babysitter we could rely on and afford.

Heather had a hard time trying to enjoy herself while we were out, going into the lobby to call home and see if the baby was okay. As the tribe grew faster than my income our times out by ourselves came about once a year, but were thoroughly enjoyed. Then our fun times became family fun times with the kids.

So because of Heather's training in homemaking by her Mother and mine in financial responsibility by my folks, we were able to weather the storms that came later in life and still be at peace.

We have done some installment buying, mainly cars - - but for the most part we did the bit - - Pay As You Go . . . . . .

Blog