Many years ago, I read one of the greatest books about money and personal finance ever written. It’s a short book, a fable called “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clayson.
One of the simple ideas in the book is “Start thy Purse to Fattening.” The idea is if you start saving, you’ll feel like you are making some progress, and you will feel like adding to your savings. Each time you add, you’ll get a feeling that you are becoming prosperous – a feeling you like and want more of.
If you are broke, you have a feeling of despair and hopelessness around money and that it will never end.
So start thy purse to fattening. It’s a very small amount at first – but see what it does to your emotions.
I’ve been saving incremental amounts each week since January just to see how I could do. Week 1 save $1, week 2 save $2, etc. By week 52 I will have saved $1,378. A fun challenge! And it does make me feel good.
I too read “The Richest Man in Babylon” at a young age. My parents were also involved with the Free Enterprise Institute and I went to many lectures alongside my college classes, reading more great thought-provoking books like Common Sense by Thomas Paine.