Weekly Roundup: Kids, Old Bread and Ducks Edition
Yesterday, I had an opportunity to do something I very rarely do – spend time with my son during the day. While his sister was in school, and the rest of the world was out working, we snuck away to a small lake and brightened the day for a few ducks. Before leaving for home we rounded up slices of bread that were past their prime, but not yet molded. We spent an hour or so tossing small chunks of bread to a group of ducks, including a mama duck and her babies.
It was a great timeout from the daily grind, and a nice reminder for me about what is really important in this world. My son didn’t care that we drove to the lake in a twenty year-old truck, or that the lake was surrounded by homes four times the value of our home, or that we passed up a dozen restaurants on the way home to enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. All he remembers is that his dad took a couple hours out of a busy schedule to enjoy some one-on-one time to feed those ducks.
Fab Five
The Secrets of Financial Freedom: An Interview with the Millionaire Next Door. I find stories like this so compelling because they serve as examples that people really can reject our consumer debt-driven society and experience financial freedom on their own terms. (@ Get Rich Slowly)
How to Prepare for a Power Outage – Without a Generator. Severe weather is starting to crop up here in the south (there is a brilliant lightning storm occurring as I type this), and it won’t be long before hurricane season. That means we’ll probably have to spend some time in the dark in the not-s0-distant future. Take note of these tips for making life without power a little more bearable. (@ Five Cent Nickel)
How Much Do You Need to Save for Early Retirement? I’ve been pondering this very question here lately. And on a related topic, I’ve been wondering if I should do more investing outside of retirement accounts so that I can access the money before the IRS says I’ve hit “retirement age.” (@ Million Dollar Journey)
No Credit Cards – Here’s Why. A very convincing argument against using credit cards. I know this argument will never go away, but the more antics credit cards pull the less I want to use their product. (@ Gather Little By Little)
Ways To Save On Mother’s Day. I urge anyone with a fracture in the relationship with their mom to take this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to reach out and make the first move towards healing that relationship. After nearly losing my mom this past year, I am even more appreciative of the special relationship we enjoy to this day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! @ Free From Broke)
Best of the Rest
- Cheap Housing Option: Buy a Mobile Home
- Announcing the New Money Tips Network
- Financial Confession – I Don’t Budget
- Save Money on Cell Phones
- When Things Go Right
- An Auction Experience to Remember
- How to Save Money on Life Insurance
Site of the Week
No site of the week this week because honestly, I just haven’t had much time to look around. Perhaps you could share one of your favorites in the comments below.
It is indeed the little things in life that are so special. What a good reminder that, while young, you son thinks you can do no wrong! As his hero, it is so important to model the behavior you would want him to display later in life.
I am sure PB&Js never tasted so good!
Dusty
Thanks so much for the mention. Holidays like Mother’s Day remind us to appreciate our moms but really we need to remember to appreciate them every day!
And I totally love going to the park with my son! We go to one that has a lake to see the ducks and geese. We save up bread ends during the week so we have something to feed them. It’s frugal, it’s relaxing, it’s fun – it beats about anything we could pay for.
I’m sure you not only brightened the day for a few ducks, but for a certain little boy, too.
We should all learn from your son and not worry so much about money. It’s amazing how polluted we become the older we get.
Btw, I have a nomination for site of the week (or month, year etc)
That is great. It is all about priorities. Obviously your family is your #1. Thanks for sharing!
You are so right. It’s the little moments. And the sum of all of them (or the lack of them) that kids remember.
Great reminder to just take a few minutes to BE with each other.
If only a lot of other parents, and their kids, appreciated the beauty of the simple pleasures and shared moments.
(For many of today’s parents, “shared” time is heading to the mall to purchase some item demanded by their kids. Sigh.)
The most wonderful feeling in life is that someone likes you and cares enough about you to actually spend time with you.
What you do, whether feeding ducks, going fishing, taking a walk, etc. doesn’t really matter in the end. It’s the being together and just enjoying the world as it is.
Maybe all this financial chaos will help people to refocus on what really matters, and what is “free” and easily available–if we choose it.
Priceless
Spending quality with someone you care about is one of the greatest moments in the world. If only we could do so more often.
Here is a suggested site of the week as well as a little shameless self-promotion:
http://www.hundredgoals.com
VERY touching story
That would have been a good post in itself.
Thanks for the links… hadn’t seen a few of them!