Tuesday, February 7, 2012

On spending money you don't have

I spend money, 
I don't have.
To buy things,
I don't need.
To impress people,
I don't know.

I found the above poem on a discussion board.  I don't know who to attribute it to but I thought it was too good to not share.  As my children get older I find myself counselling them about not falling for the trap of celebrity worship, reckless consumerism, and deriving self-worth from material things.  Just as government can enslave us through reckless spending and borrowing, we can enslave ourselves by our own reckless buying and borrowing.  There is a lot of freedom in living debt free.  And character can be built through delayed gratification.