Geoffrey Holt’s lack of love of money was in the news recently. The eighty-two-year-old was the caretaker of a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Wearing threadbare clothes, he would ride his lawnmower to the convenience store. His mobile home was mostly empty of furniture and lacked a TV and computer. Instead, the space was filled with hundreds of model cars and train sets as well as books about history and an extensive record collection. He died in June 2023 leaving $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation, and culture.

Really? Yes, you read this correctly. A well-educated man, he apparently made some shrewd investments. One of Holt’s first moves was into a communications mutual fund before cell phones.

This story got me thinking. I’ve been wrestling with the money conundrum lately. Do I spend it all and go out with a big hurrah? If I do, will I run out of money before I die? I’ve been saving all my life; how much do I really want to continue to save? Will I sit at home, economizing, and not have adventures until I get to the point where I can’t physically travel? Is that why I have saved money all these years?

Yikes!

LOVE OF MONEY AND RELIGION

The Bible has a well-quoted passage regarding money:

1 Timothy 6:10; King James Version

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

OK, sounds like I should get rid of my money. However, some have interpreted this in a different manner.

According to Jeffrey Curtis Poor, the Apostle Paul did not say money was bad, only the love of money. How we use it or view it determines if it’s good or evil. According to him, Paul actually says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

Basically, don’t place your hope in money, place it in God.

Who knew?

Organized religion is divided into two extreme camps.  The prosperity gospel claims God wants Christians to be wealthy. If we obey him and do what he says, we will be rich!

The other is the poverty gospel. True Christians sell all their worldly belongings to give to the poor.

Hmm. Lots to think about here.

WANTS VERSUS NEEDS AND LOVE OF MONEY

Somewhere along the path, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the idea of wants versus needs that I have shared in my new book RiRi’s Advice to the Grands. I try to live with this mantra in mind.

WANTS VERSUS NEEDS

I want many things and, at times, still do. When your mothers were young, bread machines were all the rage. To me, it was a must-have. But guess what? I haven’t used it in years. Keeping it reminds me that what I want is not always going to make me happy. These days, what brings me joy is being around others and having experiences such as traveling and learning new things. I’d rather spend my money that way than on a fancy car, bigger house, or other material possessions.

Think of it this way. What we need in life is safety and belonging. Being healthy, having fun, and feeling content are essential. Everything else is a “want.”

Is what you want contributing to your sense of well-being? If not, then maybe you don’t need it.

 DOES LOVE OF MONEY MAKE YOU HAPPY

OK, I must admit. I do love money. I play the big lotteries and dream of taking a trip around the world and giving away money to causes dear to my heart. Of course, I want to ensure my grandchildren have sufficient money for college, but their accounts are healthy, and my children are doing well.

I’ve not always been this way, however. My parents, while decidedly middle class, were children of the Great Depression and instilled in me the importance of saving. The idea was so deeply embedded that, as a young mother, I refused to spend any money on myself. A therapist read me the riot act and worked with me to spend the money I earned at a part-time job on myself! Since then, I’ve been entrenched in the Goldilocks philosophy—not too much, not too little, but just right.

So, what would you do in my shoes?

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Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.