There once lived a little grasshopper in a green meadow. All day long he went chirping and jumping around to his heart’s content. One day, along came an ant with a load full of corn that he was carrying to his nest.
“Why not come and chat with me”, said the grasshopper, “instead of toiling the way you do?”
“I am helping lay up food for the winter”, said the ant, “and recommend you do the same.”
“Oh, pish posh. Why bother about the winter”, said the grasshopper, “when we have so much food at present?”
But the little ant just shook his head and went about his toil. When winter came the grasshopper could no longer find any food, and found himself dying of hunger, while he watched the ants enjoy their harvest of grain that they piled up for winter. And then the ant knew…
“It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.”
If you are familiar with Aesop’s fables then you know this to be my slightly modified version of the story. As we approach winter here in the northern hemisphere we are also approaching an economic winter. Whether it will be mild or harsh is yet to be seen. Truth be told, we will see in the coming months and years who acted more like an ant and who acted more like a grasshopper.
But here is the bright side of things. You can start at anytime you choose to be more like the ant. Right now you can choose to prepare for days of necessity. You can choose not to get in over your head with debt, and you can choose to live frugally, and start storing away some of your hard earned money for winter.
You can start by reading my 11 Little Steps to Improve Your Finances…
Once you are done there you can head on over to the top 5 personal finance blogs I read for more in depth reading on improving your financial life…
This kicks off a week of writing about personal finance and the economy. Please give me your thoughts and what you would like to see written here about these two subjects. I am an avid student of the economy and love sharing what I discover. I believe knowledge is what will help us calm our economic fears. So subscribe to my RSS feed by reader or by email so you don’t miss a thing! 😉
I love Aesop’s fables!
Your posts are very resourceful Jeremy. Thank you.
I really need to read more about personal finance – so thank you for the links!
Maya’s last blog post..Slideshow: My Story – The Happiness Habit
You know, it amazes me that most kids watch ants and are fascinated by the fact that they’re always toting crumbs and working, preparing. Squirrels do it too. Funny how that doesn’t register with a lot of people once they’re adults; that the world was intended to prepare and “put up” for times that are lean. I know we should live like we might not have tomorrow. We aren’t promised tomorrow, after all. That simply means to cherish those around us, appreciate what we have, and try to make a difference in this world – even if it’s a small one. But to live like there is no tomorrow where finances are concerned is where a bunch of the credit card debt and financial ruin comes in….
Another great post, Jeremy. Keep up the good work!
*smiles*
Michele
P.S. Frugal is fun when you get used to it! Imagine not searching for bargains. How boring is that??!! 😉
Michele’s last blog post..Help Naomi Dunford Fight Domestic Violence
@ Maya – Thanks Maya. This week is dedicated to this type of stuff so keep visiting! 😉
@ Daphne – True and true. Making a list and looking at it everyday are powerful steps indeed.
@ Michele – You know, I am seriously considering going more the story route in my posts. Im inspired by Writer Dad, Maya, and even Aesop himself! 😉 Nobody is really going the story route with personal development and personal finance. I think its a niche where I can really shine. Thank you for the encouragement!
Aesop’s fables prove how simple things in life are! Isn’t it amazing how we people can relate to and understand things better when it comes to stories? I haven’t had much experience with money as I still am a student. I have subscribed to the feeds of the blog you’ve mentioned so that I can get to know what’s what. Thanks for the inspiring post!
rampantheart’s last blog post..Are we escaping reality?
Jeremy,
Love this post. It’s very well written, and I’m going to take your advice. Also, great blog recommendations. I checked them out and they look awesome. This is exactly what I need right now because I’m getting started with my personal finance journey.
Rahul
Rahul’s last blog post..New Library Section Up and Running
@ Rahul – That is always good news to hear. I love it when my writing spurs people on to take action in there life. Let me know how else I can help!
@ Rampant Heart – Thank you so much for visiting and commenting everywhere! You have very good comments. I am glad you subscribed to those sites. Let me know how it goes! 😉
Cheers,
Jeremy
Thanks a bunch for the encouraging words! I love sensible content and am uber active wherever I find such stuff. Keep the great words flowing! Kudos!
rampantheart’s last blog post..Are we escaping reality?
Pingback: 20 Baby Steps to Better Health | Insight Writer