Go Fly A Kite

"A penny saved, is a penny earned."

"Remember, that time is money."

Ben Franklin

I enjoyed taking the Thomas Jefferson quotes to show how much has changed from the original founding vision. It led me to look up another of our founding fathers, Ben Franklin. Now, this influential man never assumed the mantle of power that some of the other founding fathers grabbed onto. He did leave as big of a legacy in America, bifocals, libraries, fire stations and of course the Franklin stove. It was big enough to make it on the $100 bill. George Washington only made the $1, Thomas Jefferson managed to get to the now defunct $2 and Alexander Hamilton managed to get to the $10.

As a child, I started a savings account at the local bank. Spring and summer brought ample opportunity to make money by mowing lawns and cleaning up yards. The fall supplied a bountiful drop of foliage to be raked up. There was always at least one good snow during the winter that afforded the back breaking task of cleaning up sidewalks and driveways. Someone was always looking for some young buck to do those chores that were too time-consuming or physically challenging. I learned very early that money saved in the bank needed to be withdrawn to be spent so it was a safe place to deposit it after it was made. I managed to amass a nice tidy sum during my misspent youth that I used for my first year of college. Of course, you could attend a year of college for $1500 back then. That was with staying on campus. So this wise founding father encouraged his fellow Americans to be thrifty with their money and save at every opportunity. As I found out early, it pays to follow that bit of advice. Back then, you could still buy candy for a penny.

As an adult, there are many events that need to be managed on a daily basis. Sometimes it is just not possible to get everything done or done you your specifications. You come to the fork in the road where the decision is to whether to spend to have it done or do it yourself. It comes down to remembering that your time is worth something. The amount of time you spend enjoying yourself or cleaning your house is worth something. If you paid to have it done, you could gauge the actual cost of the chore. Some people pay to have their house cleaned, their laundry done, their car washed and their meals cooked. All of those mundane chores that most people mechanically do all take our time. We must compromise and spend our hard earned money to get them done or do them ourselves. Your income level or general level of laziness will dictate how far you can go with this but those memories of youth and the reward of saving drive me to do most of my own chores (or have the children do them. After all, isn’t that why we had them).

Franklin’s sayings are a great philosophy to live by. Learn to save, encourage your children that you can save for what you truly want and they will be rewarded with the true gifts of life. As an adult, understand the value of your time and use it wisely. You never know, you might end up with a Benjamin or two.


Icool

Cobb