Getting back to the basics.

Have you noticed how the American Family has become so dysfunctional today?
Both Mom and Dad work, the kids are busy with this activity and that activity, the family as a whole rarely sits down to a good, home cooked meal.
I believe that the problem lies with living outside of our means.
I have helped my Dad on numerous landscape jobs where young couple, 25-30 years old, are buying houses that cost up to $500,000.00! They both work, and they both drive large, expensive vehicles.
While I see nothing wrong with living good, I do see a problem when people will buy such a house, drive expensive, brand new vehicles, both husband and wife working two jobs, and have huge monthly payments on all of it. Today, we have made it too easy to buy. If we can afford the monthly payments on it we will buy it.
I think that America needs to examine themselves.
Instead of going out and buying a 3,000 square foot house, having mortgages and insurance on two SUVs, and the wife having to go out and take a job, thus leaving her God given station as a keeper at home, just so that we can afford the monthly payments, what is wrong with living in a smaller house, sharing an older model vehicle that we have paid cash for, buying used furniture to furnish our house with. We need to learn to live simply. A good motto to live by would be, "If i can't pay cash for it, than I need to wait". Now obviously that will not work with buying a house. But it will with just about everything else.
Consider the price difference on a brand new car, to that of one maybe 3-5 years old.
Instead of paying $50,000.00 for a big gas guzzling SUV, why not buy a used vehicle, that gets good gas mileage, thats cost no more than $5,000.00. We do not need brand new vehicles to get around in. Yes they are nice, but it is not nessecary.
The same could hold true with funiture. Again consider the price of new versus used.
We could really save stress in our lives by eliminating large payments.
Then, with large payments eliminated, the wife will be able to accomplish her domestic duties.
She will be able to stay home and not have to work. She will be able to clean the house, take care of the children, she will be able to cook a home cooked meal like momma used to make it because she now has the time.
Believe it or not, we can live on a single income.
I believe it was Dave Ramsey who said "live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later."
There is a lot of truth to that.
If we make sacrifices today, to save money, and we save that money in our bank accounts, than later on down the road we will be able to drive newer vehicles, we will be able to buy new furniture, we will be able to afford a larger,newer home.
It will take sacrifice on everyone's part to do it. However, everyone will reap the benefits.
We need to be good stewards of our money that God has so richly blessed us with.
Living simply will help to accomplish that.