The Secret Of Wealth
132 total pages.
Money saved by one person should benefit that person and every one else. Money kept in the pocket or in a hiding place is of no more value to its owner than the same quantity of sheets of blank paper. Hoarding and secreting money is evidence that its owner is foolish or weak-minded; saving money is good evidence that its owner is wise, strong-minded and far-seeing and that he is on the road to independence, comfort and contentment. "A generous-minded man saves himself rich; a narrow-minded man hoards himself poor."
CHAPTER XVII "It is not from nature, but from education and habit that our wants are chiefly derived."--Fielding. DURING recent years many habits have been acquired by many people, which must now be broken or the people themselves will be broke. Prominent among these recently acquired habits is the silk habit. Everything must be of silk whether silk is the best material for the purpose or not; in many cases, cotton or wool would have served better. In a recent year we sent one million dollars across the ocean every day to pay for silk. That was more money than the United States Government collected in import tariff duties for the same year. And then there is the automobile habit. Some people, who need the exercise of walking in order to keep in good physical shape, will drive their cars if only going three blocks or will hire a taxi if going a half mile. The travel habit is another habit which must be partly cured if we are to save money and become independent. Traveling for business is necessary and traveling for recreation and education is commendable, but traveling just for the sake of going from one place to another has come to be a habit and an expensive habit of the American people. The worst habit, the most far-reaching habit and the hardest habit to overcome is the useless buying habit, which is still gripping the majority of the people. Many persons have had more money come into their hands during late years than ever before and a large number of them have gotten into the habit of buying things -- uselessly buying. This habit has grown in some cases almost beyond belief. Among the most prominent examples of useless buying we might mention a man who has twenty-two hats; a woman who has fourteen pairs of low shoes and seven pairs of high boots; a woman who has twenty-two fur neck pieces; a family which owns four pianos in the same house; a workingman who owns a motorcycle and two automobiles and a salesman who says he has fifty-six silk shirts. These are extravagant examples but none of these persons is even well-to-do; no one of them owns his home except the piano fiend with four instruments in the house.
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The Secret Of Wealth