Each year, especially are this time, I realize how more and more people are finding themselves being squeezed financially. If anyone would take the time to do the research and see how much the value of the dollar has been reduced against the cost of goods and services, they would be shocked. After several weeks of working with a handful of buyers in all price ranges here in Mason City and North Iowa, I am convinced that there is a great need for the creation of micro companies who would offer real services and discount prices to help people—especially the younger generation to create value in their homes as well as their lives. For example, I have a most dear client/customer who is so terribly knowledgeable about nearly everything, she makes me inwardly smile every time I see her. I wish I could clone her about 100 times because I know the entire upper half of Iowa would become something that we likely haven’t seen since the turn of the century. When she stopped by my office yesterday, I freely gave her some pottery that I was saving for her. Little does she know, I have much more that I will gladly and freely give her because of her ingenious ability to create beauty from nearly anything. What I truly appreciate about her and others like her is that she has learned how to live within her means as well as create beauty and comfort within her surroundings. She even drives an old car!
The general population absolutely MUST get away from those things they “think” they have to have in their lives. Why must people drive monster trucks to office jobs? Why do people have to have 159 stations on their televisions? Why do people always think new is better? Why do people think they have to have everything now? Please, tell me why. Coming full circle, for the most part, I blame parents who came from likely hard lives and worked themselves silly believing that they were going to give their children everything that they didn’t have. Oh Mercy! Even I consider that foolish. So what do we do with this section of our population which is now likely two generations deep? What I would do, is re-learn them. Every time someone tells me about their financial problems and then starts blaming everyone else, I just listen. Not but several days ago I told someone to “man up” because he created an unfortunate predicament with his finances all by his choice. On the flip side, I have a distant relative who soulfully works at living off the grid in a very comfortable fashion. Some would consider her frugal, but I would consider her thrifty. What makes me smile, is that thru her thriftiness over the years, she can freely walk on a beach every morning and leisurely explore the beauty that surrounds her.
I hope everyone who is reading this article clips this photo and places it on their desktop as a reminder that when the dollar is being squeezed, our lives are full of frowns.
