Just about everybody knows a retiree who is worried about the money running out before he or she dies.
I received a call the other day from a 98-year-old Christian friend who was concerned about her cost of living increasing faster than her Social Security check increases.
She said she doesn’t know what she will do, other than pray and trust God to provide for her.
So when I read the words before from Proverbs 21:20 this morning, I was reminded of how important it is to live frugally since we don’t know how long we’re going to live.
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”
An Internet magazine article the other day reported that far too many retirees spend far too much money in the first five years after they quit their jobs and start collecting pension income. It seems the pent-up demand fuels the desire for a “fun fix” that has been the stuff of dreams for decades.
Problem is that those fun fixes tend to be too expensive.
Then, for millions of retirees, the years of anxiety begin with fears of having to choose between proper health care or a decent diet or perhaps between a tank of gas to go see the grandkids or a trip to see the podiatrist.
We all have choices to make with our finances. Frugality now leads to more good choices later. Splurging now leads to more tough choices later.
Listen, if I were a popcorn farmer, it would be insanity for me to use all my popcorn seed for a month-long moviethon with countless guests who ate popcorn through flick after flick.
It would be much smarter to set aside more than enough popcorn seed to plant all my fields for the next year and perhaps have some to share with another who doesn’t have enough. With future planting needs provided for, then I could rent a couple of movies and feed popcorn to all who responded to my invitations.
Please try your best to store up financial blessings now, even if they’re coming only in small bites.
It’s never good to gulp down the blessings of God with no thought of their purpose for our future preservation or our call to help others in need.
As always, I love you
Martin
