Everyday Cheapskate: We've Become a Nation of Softies

Compared to my grandmother, I'm a lazy bum. While my generation hires out domestic tasks without a second thought, she and my grandfather focused on how much money they could sock away for emergencies and their "old age."

They both lived to just shy of 100, never needing Medicaid, government assistance* or a handout. They owned their home outright (purchased with cash) and never took out a car loan, yet they always drove a nice car.

Grandma dressed like a million bucks, but she didn't spend like it. She could knit, quilt, cook, bake, clean, decorate and entertain -- all with elegance and grace. She could sew a winter coat as easily as a throw pillow for the sofa.

She had an eye for beauty, singlehandedly transforming their backyard in Spokane, Washington, from a gravel pit into a botanical garden. She planted trees, dug flowerbeds and installed borders -- all in what she called a "house dress," complete with stockings and jewelry. What a lady.

If my grandmother could see all the things we hire people to do for us now, she'd be amazed. And the kicker? We don't even consider these things luxuries anymore -- it's just how society has evolved. We've come to believe it's natural, even normal, to outsource tasks we could easily do ourselves:

Bake our bread, cook our meals, clean our clothes, grow our produce, wash our cars, change the oil, service our appliances, mow our lawns, clean our homes, cut our hair, manicure our hands, pedicure our feet, massage our bodies, wax our brows, polish our shoes, teach our kids, clean our pools, wash our windows, sew and mend our clothes, groom and walk our pets, haul our trash, and drive us to the airport.

We're in the midst of a major financial crisis, and it all boils down to one four-letter word: D-E-B-T. We've overdosed on living beyond our means.

Someday, the tide will turn. How will you respond? Will you go back to your old ways, spending all you have and feeling justified in hiring others to do things you could do yourself? Why? Do you really believe everything will magically turn around and you'll never have to worry about money again? That's not just wishful thinking -- it borders on insanity.

Sure, we live in different times than my grandparents did, but good financial principles are timeless. Imagine how much money you could have socked away in the last decade if you'd focused on preparing for the future instead of outsourcing your life.

Mamie and Billy Schwartz weren't financial geniuses -- they were realists. They built a hefty safety net, and in doing so, they found peace and the dignity of self-reliance. No one could have ever accused them of being lazy.

Will your grandkids be able to say the same about you?

*U.S. Social Security is not government assistance. Those who pay into the system become eligible, upon full retirement age, to get back what is theirs based on what they and/or their spouse have paid in.

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Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."