The Value Of Money & Strong Women

Hi there –

How’s it going?

I’m thankful that throughout my 21 years of life that my family has taught me so much within that short span of time. Many things that my grandparents have told me I know that I will be engraving in my children as well. I am so thankful to come from so many beautiful generations of strong, wise and insightful women. I have learned so much from every female in my family.

Something that my MawMaw has always told me whenever she could get the chance is to save money. At times, she will give me a hug and slide a $5 bill into my hand while she gives me a kiss on the cheek. For this, I am thankful. It’s not because I am receiving money but it is because she is teaching me to save. Learning to budget is important and necessary. Yet, it has bitten me in the butt multiple times and I am quickly learning how to do it correctly. In the past, I was too quick to buy that on sale pair of shoes or treat myself to a ice cream cone when I was having a bad day. With time, I’ve learned to put my money where it is necessary and needed. All in all, everyday, I am learning to budget. I wish I could say it’s because I want to but it’s because I’m a broke college student.

My grandma has told me to save most of my five dollar bills and to save all of my change because with time – this loose change and money will add up very quickly and that it holds great value.

I’ve learned only to spend when necessary and at desperate times.

I’ve been reflecting about this in my journal and I got to thinking. Maybe I can leave a surprise for my granddaughter years from now so I digress…

Recently, I found myself writing a lot about the value of a dollar and money so in one recent entry I left this:

Hopefully my granddaughter will read this in my journal in 70 years and use this 5$ to treat herself to the brightest shade of pink lipstick there is and think about how her grandma taught her to save money in random places and enjoy a good lipstick shade just like my own grandma does. I hope that my granddaughter can look at this entry and think “wow my grandma made it she never had to be desperate for money and always figured a way to make it all happen”.

Maybe you’ll start tucking your bills in a jar or depositing more into your savings account. But, maybe not and I fully support you treating yourself to your favorite beer at the bar with it instead but I do hope that out of this you learn to save on occasion even if it is the penny you dropped on the ground in the grocery store. Pick that penny back up and put it in your pocket because it has value.

QOTD: “You have to be real with yourself. No one is doing that. People are too concerned with making everything look nice and calm and pretty” – Donald Glover

Signing off – have a neat day,

Em