July 4th is the day that we Americans celebrate our country’s Declaration of Independence in 1776. A lot has happened in the ensuing 232 years. Countless numbers of men and women have given their lives in defense of what this country stands for and countless others have dedicated their lives to serving their fellow Americans in a variety of ways. It is somewhat easy to enjoy our family outings and vacations knowing that there are numerous protections and safeguards in place that allow us to do so freely. This July 4th, let’s not forget where we have come from as a nation and the struggles and committments it has taken to get to where we are. Let’s not forget the threats that we face together to preserve the foundations of what this country stands for. This Independence Day, based upon our beliefs and our actions, can we truly and in a heartfelt manner say “God Bless America“?
This Independence Day, our country is facing new and renewed challenges economically, militarily, socially, politically, and spiritually. As individual citizens we face our own challenges and as retirees on potentially fixed income some of these may hit us harder than others.
As individuals, one of our biggest challenges is probably in the area of finances. With the price of gasoline rising almost daily and the trickle down effect from that, almost everything we touch takes a greater portion of our financial resources. Add to that the catastrophic impact of nautural disasters we are seeing throughout our country it makes one wonder how can we continue? But Americans by nature are a resourceful people and a people with a strong desire to survive. When I hear a news report that says a town in Missouri of 500 residents has more than 1,000 volunteers helping to sandbag the town against the flooding rivers, I can only thank God for the spirit of these Americans. Wildfires are burning in several Western states, earthquakes continue in northwestern Nevada, extreme heat in the Southwest, and tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest. It is easy to become discouraged, but we as Americans will face the challenge head on.
We as individuals should be continually assessing our responsibility to ourselves, to our families, and to our neighbors. With rising prices it may be necessary to live a more frugal lifestyle. Frugal doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. Wikipedia defines frugality as the practice of
- acquiring goods and services in a restrained manner, and
- resourcefully using already owned economic goods and services, to
- achieve a longer term goal.
Our level of spending should match our dedication to the values we have established as being important to us. Our values should be so ingrained that every decision we make, whether or not it is a financial one, should be made through the filter of what is important to us. If one of our life’s values is to serve and to honor God, then do our actions and our spending patterns reflect that? If I say one of my values is to honor my spouse then go and selfishly acquire something for myself, am I negating the importance of that value?
This Fourth of July, let’s take time to thank God for the greatest country on this earth and to pray for a healing within our land. Let us strive to be the best stewards of everything we have been given and to practice frugality wherever we can. Let’s identify our values and live our lives according to those values.
Rocking Chair Wisdom wishes you a safe and frugal Fourth of July celebration.
With rising costs of traveling, are you vacationing or sta-cationing this year? Let us know at RockingChairWisdom@gmail.com . Don’t forget your KINDLE.
