by SepiaTones

Created on: February 16, 2009

It's funny about money. I feel like I have been wrestling with money my whole life. I admit that maybe I have "kissed a few pigs" financially.

As a single Mom in the 80's just trying to make it on my own, I was constantly struggling from week to week, sometimes even resorting to selling something just to pay for something else, like electricity and milk and cornflakes. I wanted to have nice things while knowing it made no sense for me to buy them. I'd say I had a bad relationship with money. I never seemed to have enough and it always seemed to have me down on the mat.

Some things about that struggle turned out to be rewarding. Everything in life contains trade-offs. To borrow money from family members came with strings I refused to get myself wrapped around, so I'm proud to say I didn't have to resort to that humiliating endeavor. I also never had to apply for food stamps or government assistance. I did work a lot of hours while allowing others to raise my children during the day. This was the price for my independence. Somehow we all survived as I steadily moved forward in my career. Then one day I was making more money than I believed I would ever earn. It's an accomplishment that makes me proud.

Fundamentally I believe that the love for money is the root of all evil. It's also true though, that having plenty of money makes life a lot easier; which is funny, because I don't think I love money nor do I believe I have plenty. Then again who does?

People can be eccentric when it comes to finances. Some are happy to live in a house that's "the bomb" while having a bomb parked out front in the driveway. Others will trick out their vehicles to the tune of 40,000 or so dollars and live in a small white cracker box. I know women who will spend a ridiculous amount of money on a Coach handbag even if it takes draining the bank account to acquire it, it's that important to cast a financial shadow here on the planet.

In our bent toward entitlement, we sometimes adopt this way of thinking that causes us to say, "hey we're pulling 6 figures now, we should be able to afford thus'nso". To others it is clear cut that if one cannot afford to pay cash for thus'nso, then they cannot afford it (ie: Dave Ramsey). My personal example of this ridiculous thinking is that I'm currently making a vehicle payment that is higher than our last house payment in the small town we moved here from just a couple years ago.

On the flip side, the most independently wealthy people I know are adamant

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