Don’t “hoard” the good stuff. Use the pretty table cloth. Burn the pretty candles. Work the Mixmaster into the ground. If something breaks, celebrate the pleasure it brought, and repair, replace or repurpose. (In that order!) If the cost of an item makes you avoid using it, it was NOT a wise purchase.

Living within your means does not mean you can’t have a wonderful life. The things that matter most aren’t things, cost no money, and their value is priceless.

AVOID credit cards, but if you must use one, pay it off every single month. Your credit will really suffer if you build up debt. Live within your means.

Start saving for retirement with your first paycheck. The power of compound interest is your friend. Never mind if you don’t quite understand it yet, when you figure it out, you’ll be SO glad you started when you did.

As my Grampa used to say, “And another thing,...” Your housing expense (rent or mortgage) should not exceed 25% (¼th) of your monthly income. Do not be swayed by fast talkers who say otherwise. If you spend more than that, you will be perpetually in a panic. Also, tithe, AND put at least 10% of your monthly income in savings. (So are you beginning to see a pattern here? 25% for housing, 10% into each tithe and savings, means you’ve already spent almost half of your monthly income and we haven’t even factored in food, utilities, insurance, and transportation.)