Re: “We’re in same boat, and it’s sinking,” letter, Sept. 11.
Thank you so much to the letter-writer for permission to enjoy my prime rib. I married at age 21, and at that time my new husband and I agreed on a financial plan. We both worked full-time, delayed having a baby for five years (couldn’t afford to provide for a child), and saved every penny we could scrape together.
We didn’t have dinner out, never went to a movie, didn’t buy a television set, had no car, didn’t buy bags of chips or any other junk food. We did that for five years. Then we had enough money for a downpayment on our first home.
Then five years later, we had saved enough money to qualify for a mortgage for our first rental property. That was our financial plan.
As a new bride, I had no idea of how to manage money but I figured out how to work toward our goals. If lettuce was expensive, I’d buy cabbage and make coleslaw. We were young and inexperienced, but we knew how to work hard and keep our goals in mind.
No apologies from me for now enjoying my prime rib each barbecue season. But thank you so much to the writer for giving permission to enjoy my prime rib. I’ll keep her thoughts in mind if I ever donate to the food bank again and will make sure to remember that she doesn’t want to be given tuna or peanut butter.
Judy Westhaver
Victoria
