Continuing with the discussion of lessons my dad taught me, here are a few more nuggets of advice he gave: Always save for what you need and be willing to sacrifice. One thing he was good at was saving a whole lot of money in a short space of time.  Before I even heard of Dave Ramsey, dad was making the “beans-and-rice money diet” a popular thing. Whether we were planning a move from one state to another, or getting gifts for the younger kids for Christmas, there was always a way to make purchases without going into debt.  I don’t think we ever used layaway, now that I think about it.  Everything was cash, cash, cash.  Basically, the envelope system was in effect, just without the envelopes. […]

Today would be my dad’s 65th birthday. It’s been about 3 1/2 years since Pastor Jones has “graduated”, as my pastor calls the state of “absent from the body, present with the Lord” and things have definitely changed, some for good and some not-so-good.  His passing has had mixed effects on the young family, some more motivated to do great things and make him proud and others…not so much.  Loss affects people in various ways, I suppose. Pastor Jones was a spiritual father, pastor and teacher to many young men whom society counted out as lost causes.  He was an evangelist, a theologian, a vet, a motivator, a bibliophile, a joker, a trash-talking chess player, and a man of wisdom.  He was always ready with some scripture, advice or challenge to help you become a better you.  Those who knew him knew his motivation was to see you succeed and have all the things he didn’t have growing up. So in honor of his birthday, this week I’m sharing several financial lessons daddy taught me.  There are important takeaways for everyone no matter where you are in life. […]