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justavet · 06-02-2009, 05:19 PM

I here so much about how people are hurting these days,being in debt and can not afford the GREAT BIG HOUSE that they never should have purchased to begin with. Tell me is there anyone out there that can shed some light on how they have no money worries because they did the right thing by saving and living within there means. You sacrificed for many years not having the luxury's your friends had and I do mean HAD.A Lot of people are crying because they did not show restraint when it came to spending,and now you and I can live the good life with NO MONEY WORRIES,lets here your story and how you did it. By the way I retired at 59 and now every day is SATURDAY,loving it.!!!!!!!!!!

REWahoo · 06-02-2009, 05:29 PM

You go first...

freebird5825 · 06-02-2009, 05:42 PM

Welcome to the forum.

Sigh...I have no choice but to reveal my secret...S&H Green Stamps.

S&H Green Stamps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

justavet · 06-02-2009, 05:43 PM

freebird5825 · 06-02-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justavet

I'm joking with you.
Welcome to the forum.

justavet · 06-02-2009, 05:56 PM

You must of had alot of stamps

justavet · 06-02-2009, 05:56 PM

Not much going on here

bbbamI · 06-02-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justavet

Not much going on here

It's a slow day.....

freebird5825 · 06-02-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justavet

Not much going on here

"Here" as in the forum, or "here" as in where you are?

I was horsing around with the Green Stamps because your original post said "let's here your story?" as far as not being in debt.

The Green Stamps reference was from my childhood, when my Mom would save those stamps up from grocery shopping and eventually redeem them for things she could not afford otherwise. I was in charge of pasting them into the stamp books.

This type of frugality is in direct contrast to today, where too many people have bought things they really could not afford and are carrying an unimaginable debt load.

CuppaJoe · 06-02-2009, 06:51 PM

Hello there!

Does your screen name refer to 1) animals; 2) military service; 3) other? How long has it been Saturday?

growing_older · 06-02-2009, 07:08 PM

I loved those stamps. I think we only turned in books for BIG items, like a sewing machine or a typewriter, so we had to have lots of books. For us kids, it was a reward to be the one who got to put the stamps in the books. We had piles of them.

beowulf · 06-02-2009, 07:40 PM

How about US Savings Bond stamps? In elementary school in the '50s we brought in 25 cents a week, and when we had $18.75 in stamps in the book, we got a $25.00 savings bond.

I think many of the folks on this board have lived at least within their means without going into a lot of debt and have a lot less to worry about than those who spent wildly.

CuppaJoe · 06-02-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by growing_older

I loved those stamps. ....

I can still taste the glue.

FIREd · 06-02-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justavet

Tell me is there anyone out there that can shed some light on how they have no money worries because they did the right thing by saving and living within there means. You sacrificed for many years not having the luxury's your friends had and I do mean HAD.

25% of our gross income goes to expenses.
25% of our gross income goes to income and payroll taxes (2009 will probably be the first year for which we spend more on taxes than on ourselves).
50% of our gross income goes to investments. So each year we save 2 years worth of expenses.

We have a medium size house in a middle class neighborhood and 2 used cars (8 and 12 years old). We live on a very low cost of living area. We keep our fixed expenses as low as possible (I hate long term financial commitments) which leaves us plenty of money for a few luxuries. When we get a bonus or a raise, it gets invested for the future.

That's how we are doing it...

**Walt34** · 06-03-2009, 05:50 AM

I still have a guitar purchased with green stamps. Or maybe they were the yellow ones, I forget the name, for a while we kept books of both.

How did we do it? Simple. Spend less than we earned. Duh.

Tom52 · 06-03-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34

I still have a guitar purchased with green stamps. Or maybe they were the yellow ones, I forget the name, for a while we kept books of both.

How did we do it? Simple. Spend less than we earned. Duh.

I remember the the yellow stamps, were they Regal Stamps? My parents saved them all year and used them to buy Christmas presents for the kids.

ratface · 06-03-2009, 06:28 AM

Oh wow, the stamp books. I remember the yellow ones too. Dad would sit at the kitchen table and go over all the bills every Sunday for hours. He would bring out his metal filing box with those dark brown accordion legal folders. Mom would hover in the kitchen over the stove. The building was a six flat, our apartment had two bedrooms, dining rm, living room and kitchen. Mom and dad slept on a fold away couch in the living room. Two boys and two girls shared bedrooms. The bedrooms were ice cold in the winter, one space heater in the dining room and one small one in the kitchen next to the hot water tank. I would often read next to the big space heater and watch the fire bricks glow. On Sundays I would have to walk Ashland Ave with dad as he made payments on the sewing machine, the 25 inch cabinet TV. and his beloved stereo-phonic turntable. How I hated the time he would spend picking out albums with musical instrumentals. Then back home to play what ever symphony orchestra was on sale that day. At dinner time mom would wait until everyone ate then clear the dishes to the end of the table. There she would sit and eat whatever was left on each plate. Then we got to watch 60 minuetes, Lawrence Welk, and Bonanza. I would get mad because an Elvis movie would be playing but dad had full control of the TV. What wonderful memories you stirred. (I still have all the albums)