Resourceful Contentment: Living on a Lot Less Than You Think Can - Without Suffering Deprivation

Motivation for Living Well

Dear Readers: This article was started off as a follow-on to the budgeting series I have been working on. It sort of took off in a more motivational direction, so that is where I went. I actually needed this today and my guess, so do you. We need all the encouragement we can get each day.

Enjoy . . .

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Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

There has always been a roof over our heads. We’ve never had an empty table. A warm bed awaited us each night. Running water and electricity have always been available. We’ve always owned adequate, not new transportation. See this article on my car-buying philosophy:

You Paid WHAT For That Car?

In the four decades my wife and I have been married, I have done everything from washing dishes in a restaurant, installing windows, being a relief driver for FedEx, selling office supplies, managing a branch for a Temp Agency, selling insurance, and working multiple part-time jobs.

During this time, I managed to finish a 20-year active duty/reserve military career and recently retired after fourteen years as a DOD contract intelligence analyst.

Early in our marriage, my wife worked as an R.N. When the kids began showing up, she developed a successful music teaching business (which she still does).

Because we were disciplined in our finances, we have successfully weathered two different periods of unemployment.

Our annual family income has fluctuated back and forth from the teens to six digits over the life of our marriage.

Through it all, we never went into debt for our living expenses.

Also, we have put five children successfully through college or tech school via various resourceful means and launched them into the world debt-free.

So, why am I telling you all this?

It’s Possible

Photo by Jose Castillo on Unsplash

Years ago, motivational speaker, Les Brown, recorded a talk called, It’s Possible, which focused on his life story.

If you’ve never listened to Les Brown before, this will inspire you to believe that your dream is possible as well.

My story pales in comparison to his.

When things get tight, a resourceful family will find the means to survive and even thrive without going into massive debt.

The problem is that most do not have the discipline to do what is necessary. We like our expensive vehicles, our larger-than-needed house, unrestrained entertainment, and all of our stuff too much to change anything.

Excuses abound: “We had no choice.” “There were just no jobs.” “I don’t have the right education.” “Things just never go my way”.

I would contend that there were jobs. Just not ones you wanted to do.

An article from Ramsey Solutions contrasts wealth and contentment as a mindset -

“… being wealthy is all about our mindset—how we perceive our own well-being. You can wear yourself out by trying to keep up with the Joneses, or you can practice contentment.”

Life is hard. Many times, easy is not an option.

But, it is over the course of the ebb and flow of life that resourceful contentment can be cultivated. It’s not just going to happen. It must be intentional. And it’s not always easy.

I say “can be” because as a society we have been conditioned to “keep up with the Jones”.

So when the going gets tough, instead of being content with where we are and what we have, instead of thinking of ways we can be resourceful, we pull out the credit card.

It is easy and convenient.

But for those who discipline themselves to be resourceful, sound budgeting practices enable funding for more than the bare necessities.

Reasonable entertainment, occasionally eating out, kids’ sports events, and even vacations are possible when you account for every dollar.

And you know what? We did. In January 2023, at age 70 (by choice), I retired after 55 years of work (over 40 of those years with a family).

Now, it’s time to give back in a major way. That’s what Life UnCorked is all about. Over time, I will be presenting everything I’ve learned right here on these pages.

When I started this journey, I was clueless. I had no idea of the direction of the path I would take or where I would end up. I just kept going, doing the things that I knew how to do, and learned some things I didn’t know how to do.

Over the course of time, certain interests, talents, and abilities surfaced.

I found that I was fairly creative and I liked to write. I loved exploring new ways to do things. I had a passion for helping others see their own potential and how they could fuel their own passions.

Though writing took a back seat when I was busy taking care of my family, I did continue to pursue it when I could. This helped me hone critical thinking skills and thought expression in my writing.

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My oldest son and I have talked many times about the years when he and his siblings were growing up.

When I asked him if he thought we were poor, his response was a resounding “No”. They never knew what was in our bank account or our efforts to keep things going.

One of the part-time jobs was delivering newspapers. Josh became my business partner in that work.

He would get up with me every morning at 4:30 a.m., help me roll and wrap the papers, and then run alongside the car as I handed him the papers to place on our customer’s doorsteps. They loved him and gave him nice tips. It literally became his first business. At age 12.

It was minor compared to most of the other jobs I had, but I attribute the beginning of his work ethic and resourcefulness to that time.

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This is not a long piece today. My main goal is to plant a seed that to do the things you want in life, you must first believe that it is possible.

When you truly meditate about what is possible, you’ll find that all the creative ways to make it happen will begin to appear.

Of course, you will need to discipline yourself to keep going in the face of fear and adversity. You must be willing to do the hard, the mundane, and the necessary things in life.

A sense of personal responsibility is crucial to achieving your dreams in life.

Stop listening to and looking at what everyone else is doing.

I like to look at it this way - when you and I die, there is only One to whom we will give an account of our life, and it won’t be those people.

So, why do we listen to them? Just stop it.

I’ll close with this thought -

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have … No matter how bad it is or how bad it gets, you’re going to make it. - Les Brown, It’s Possible

As always, thank you so much for your support.

Until next time, friends …

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As always, thank you so much for reading and supporting Life UnCorked. While you’re here, check out my creative writing ‘Stack: The Talking Pen, where you’ll find fiction & non-fiction short stories, serials, poetry, art, and a short memoir.