Now that I got that off my chest... in the wake of today's arguing & other nonsense, I was thinking about Chad & I choosing to live simply, within our means, etc. (Yeah, I don't know how I got from one train of thought to another.) I'm so glad that we've made that choice, and so grateful for the jobs we have that have allowed us to pursue this lifestyle.
At South Plains, we've had Financial Peace University offered for several years in a row. Chad & I have never taken it, just because we don't need it at this point (see previous paragraph). And yet, I can't tell you how many times I've had some variation on this conversation:
Friend (F): Hey, are you & Chad going to take Financial Peace University?
I: No.
F: Why not?
I: We don't need it.
F: But you'll learn how to live within your budget.
I: We already live within our budget.
F: But you'll learn how to save to buy another car.
I: We have a car.
F: Buy you could get another one!
I: We don't need another one.
F: Or you could save up to buy a house.
I: We're already saving to buy a house.
F: Oh! Well, maybe you can go ahead & get a house & work it into your budget now instead of waiting.
I: So, you're saying we should do Financial Peace University so we can learn how to spend our money on stuff we don't need or can't afford?
F: No! It will teach you not to do that.
I: We're already not doing that.
And so on. It makes me laugh. I don't know why other people are so keen on us doing Financial Peace University, unless it's the universal this-is-great-you-should-try-it thing that I usually reserve for books. Which is fair enough, if only they were less determined to find a way that we're not doing it right.
I'm so thankful as well that God kept us from the desire for stuff. If I were constantly longing for a faster car or a big house or flashy jewelry or designer clothes... wow, I'd be so miserable. I wish I knew how to help people who do have that kind of longing. I guess I could recommend Financial Peace University.
4 comments:
LOL!! It's because so few people actually DO live within their means that it's a foreign concept to most people!! It's just not possible that someone might actually be happy not living in a big fancy house or driving a brand new car with huge payments!!! Y'all keep up the good work! You'll be glad you did come retirement time!!
I'm glad now! But I get what you're saying. It really is unreal how many times I've had that conversation.
It's kind of sad if those are the plies with which they plan on using to convince others to join FPU. We were a couple that needed FPU though, although we weren't too bad, but even FPU still has an element of "so you can buy this stuff later on" to it.
We Americans really have a tough time of understanding where to store our treasures. We're starting over in England, but it's not been so simple to get there.
Yep. Plenty has a lot of downsides.
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