
[Actress Joan Fontaine Doing the Household Bookkeeping]
When I was a young teenager, I was intrigued by the cash books in my local store. I bought one and brought it home. From that day forward, I did my best to keep track of my income and spending. I started earning money when I was 11 years old. I did a variety of things like sales, cleaning and babysitting. When I was 15, I had my first real job in a clothing distribution center. I continued to keep track of my spending in my little book, even after I married just a few years later. At that point, I no longer worked. I started to keep a household account. Because of this, I can now see my budget from when I had one or two children. I can see what I was buying and how much things cost. It is an amazing history!
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| My Cash book - circa 1980 |
Many years later, when my oldest child was around 10 years old, I bought her a cash book. I taught her how to write down her income and expenses. I still have her book and love to read it over. I can sense the excitement in her entries. I enjoyed seeing how she wrote down what she bought or the income she received. She was thrilled when she would find money while cleaning. She would promptly write this down, even if it was 25 cents. Here is her book:
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| My oldest Daughter's Cash book when she was 10. (1998) |
As my children became of age (around 10 years old), I bought each one their own book. They enjoyed writing things down, but as they got older, the practice fell away. I intend to buy each one a new book this coming year and encourage them to keep track of their financial histories.
Right now, I am having trouble finding old fashioned cash books in the local stores. People seem to prefer computer spreadsheets and such. Sadly, my current cash book is more expensive. Even though I'd rather the old cash book of yesteryear, this one does serve its purpose. Here is my current ledger book:
It is harder to keep track of all the things I buy. There are just so many needs and expenses. I am looking for ways to cut back. This coming year, I plan to consume less. I want to spend less. I want the items I do buy to be worth writing about.
Blessings
Mrs. White
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