#013 — Lincoln, Darwin, Superstition & Romance
This is quite a Thursday-Friday-Saturday combination of events. Thursday was the 200th birthday of both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Today is Friday the 13th. Saturday is Valentine’s Day. Let’s get a personal finance quick-hit on each!
Abraham Lincoln: Preserve the Union
Lincoln knew that ultimately for the nation to succeed, the Union and it’s ideals needed to be preserved at all costs. In his judgment, both the Civil War and Reconstruction of the South were necessary to move forward. Nearly 150 years later, our Union remains solid.
In our own lives, we have many trials. Money mistakes, family break-ups, fights, competition, recessions — they all take their toll. Take Lincoln’s advice and preserve your ideals. What fundamentals are you willing to fight for to preservation of your financial Union? Is it preserving your marriage by communicating on money issues with your spouse? Paying down debt to enable you to weather the storms that lay-offs and recessions bring? The tenants of your faith which prompt you to help those in need? Teaching your children financial responsibility so the fundamentals of your Union are passed on to the next generation?
Charles Darwin: Survival of the Fittest
Darwin was instrumental in documenting the theory of natural selection. Favorable traits are passed on as a need for survival, while unfavorable traits die off as they can’t compete. We don’t need to have a debate on the theory of evolution to take away one huge concept: the world is vastly changing, and we need to adapt or we’ll be left behind.
So what are ways you are adapting to survive in these tough economic times? In our household, I do contract work, so I’m working as many hours as I can to bank up money. These project-based jobs do not last forever, and who knows when another will come up? With the sacrifice of longer hours comes extra income, which we can use to pay off debts, build an emergency fund, and overall reduce risk to our household should our household income take a hit.
Americans are saving more. It seems that with this credit crunch crisis, we’re getting back to the basics of getting rich slow, building wealth moderately, and saving money. Get prepared — put aside those unfavorable traits and survive!
Friday the 13th — my 13th Post!
Well it’s my 13th post, and it falls on Friday the 13th! I wish I could take credit for the stunning coincidence, but I can’t. So is having a 13th post on Friday the 13th the digital equivalent to crossing the path of a black cat, breaking a mirror, or stepping on a crack? Stick around and find out!
Do you have any superstitions? Share them in the comments below!
Valentine’s Day
Yes, I made that heading red on purpose 
With the big day of romance tomorrow, the pressure is on. Do you have anything planned for Valentine’s Day?
Actually, the Lovely Miss H is taking a few single friends out to hang with tomorrow. She’s a great friend, isn’t she? Also a great wife, because I’m off the hook for coming up with plans! We’ll have dinner out tonight and keep it low-key. Besides, every day is Valentine’s Day with me, right H?
Any Valentine’s Day plans? Do you feel like your significant other places unhealthy expectations on this holiday?
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