Financial regulation

Every time I see a price for buying a new car, my mind flashes back to when my husband and I were first married. We started out in a mobile home before deciding to undertake the impossible project of building a house. It took two years of diligent, difficult, after-hours labor, but we finally moved in two weeks after our second child was born.

One day not too long after inhabiting our new home, we meandered into a furniture store. I saw a living room suite which reminded me of a friend’s home’s decor. It seemed perfect for our new residence, and I looked pleadingly at my husband. He wisely did not burst either into raucous laughter or incredulous exclamations. Instead, he suggested we sit down and take a look at our finances.

Oh rats, no spontaneity in this relationship! After a very, very brief review of our income and outflow (we were both self-employed at the time), it was obvious that, even with the most liberal payment plan, there was no way we could fit that additional expense into our “budget.”

Sure, I was disappointed for a moment...maybe for a few moments. But now, looking back from a multi-decade perspective, I realize how wise my husband was to suggest the evaluation and how smart I was to listen to reason.

Even now, as we enter the “golden years” of retirement, the flashing “$699/mo. payment” remains out of reach. And that’s totally OK. I don’t even need to ask my sweetheart if it would be possible.

New cars, dream cruises, designer clothing—none of that speaks to me. And when my husband advises me about the spontaneous purchases which still tempt me (usually books), I have learned to pay attention (well, most of the time).

Wish we could distill my husband’s wisdom and share it with some others who have financial decisions to make on a much larger scale. The talking heads we just saw discussing the country’s monetary situation seemed to need a healthy dose!