The Root of All Evil?

Nah. Though I can understand how people do a lot of things they shouldn’t for money, I don’t see it as evil. Money is a tool; just like a car, or a toothbrush. It’s something people use in order to attain a desired goal. A car transports you from point A to point B. If you’re lucky, you may get lucky in it. eh?


Hi there, Catie here! I might disagree. I think money is dirty and generally evil. Cars are great though, I adore mine.

To me, money equals freedom. Freedom to go places, do things, see people; to experience things I hadn’t before. To me, it’s only good if you use it in trade. I could never be “a millionaire.” Even if I had millions coming in, I’d find a way to spend it–real fast. I’d make sure my family was settled and safe. Then I’d spend it on animal/human shelters, food pantries, medicine, research, arts, etc. No sooner would the money land in my hands, than it’d be out the door.


Me too, I’m admittedly not good with money. I tend to spend the most at Ama.zon and Tar.get because I have zero impulse control. But say I win Power.ball tonight. The first few months, money would be flying around like fighter jets. Family cared for, trusts set up, donations made, houses bought, trips planned. After that I have a feeling we would settle down and enjoy having millions in the bank. Sure, we’ll still have pet projects and vacationing will be a must but at the end of the day we’re pretty simple people. When I think about it, we’ll have our kids and a bunch of nieces and nephews to put through college…we might not have millions leftover…..sigh.

I’m sure a lot of folks out there would say I’m incredibly wasteful. And in a way, I am. For example, I “waste” money on painting classes. However, I am keeping a local mom of two employed doing something she loves. And I’m loving what I’m getting out of it, too. 🙂 As I see it, life should be like that: a give and take that equals happy people.

I’m just doing my part. 😉

I disagree, I don’t consider spending money on things you enjoy doing or having wasteful, provided you have a roof overhead, all your bills are paid and the children are fed and stuff like that. I love quilting and pens. I buy pens and fabric whenever I want and only feel bad when I can’t find space to put the new things. Lena’s hobbies give us the art on our walls, the note cards I write letters to my nephew on and joy in general. To me, not wasteful at all. 

That same view carries over to our home. Paul and I share our income and our expenses. When Catie came in, she asked how much she should give us for her share. Paul and I looked at each other and shrugged. Even before she moved in, she was spending a lot on us, and I feel horrible for “taking her money.” She, of course, sees it as caring for her family. Which I totally understand. I feel the same. So, how do you figure out what a fair number is?

Good God, that was an awkward conversation. Paul didn’t want anything; he likes to take care of everyone. Catie felt perfectly capable of contributing her share–she is not a charity case, thank you very much. And I’m trying to play Sweden. (insert whistling)

It wasn’t that awkward of a conversation. I asked how much, Paul said nothing, I said no. Eventually they gave me a number, I agreed then redid my mental budget and moved on. I never felt like how they came up with the number was any of my business. Like Lena said, I am absolutely not a charity case. Contributing to the household is a non-negotiable item as far as I’m concerned, unlike some other people….

There’s a story that goes with this… Another day.

When the number was agreed upon, we moved on. Sort of. The deal was, Catie’s portion would go into a shared account, and this money would be used for family stuff, such as food, electric, gas, etc. You get the idea. Only problem: Catie insists on buying things. Food we all consume, she’ll pay for. So she and Paul end up arguing at the checkout counter of the store. Poor cashiers have no idea how to handle it. They stay there, awkwardly looking from one to the other, waiting for the arguing to stop. In case you’re wondering where I stand on this, I walk away.

So, if and when you decide to welcome a third, forth, harem into your circle, be sure to chat about who’s paying for what. It’ll be an interesting conversation if nothing else.



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