The smell of money.
Strangers complained about the stench, but the locals liked to brag that it was the sweet smell of money. ~ Author: Donald Ray Pollock
I cover a lot of meetings for my "day job." One of my "beats" is for the county commissioners. I have been covering their meetings for nearly 20 years now. (I feel really old admitting that!)
One day the city that the meetings are held in was particularly odorous. That city has two major meat processing plants, an animal rendering plant and an egg plant. When all four are working, they can deliver a smell that will make your toenails curl. Honestly, I question how people can live there. I guess they just get used to the smell after a while.
Long story, short, one day someone commented about the smell. One of the commissioners replied, "The town sure smells like money today."
Now what he meant was that because the businesses were working that they were creating money. But, it sure struck me as funny at the time. Now whenever I head into the county seat (where the meeting is held) if the smells are repugnant that day, I think to myself, "Boy it sure smells like money today."
The smell of money
I like the smell of paper. As in a freshly printed newspaper. The combination of the soy ink and the paper are very appealing to me. I have been smelling them on a nearly daily basis for the past 25 years.
I don't particularly like the smell of money. Money has been used for other purposes than purchasing goods and services for a long time. Money (usually the change kind) has been swallowed by countless children for hundreds of years. Paper money has been used for.... well, I don't even want to think about that.
But I will say that money doesn't have a good or bad smell. It just is.
When we chase the smell of money, are we really chasing the right thing?
The "good" smell of money
If money can have a good smell, I assume that would be the smell of sweat when it is working for us.
You see, making money or working for money is all well and good, but the key to the mastery of money is when we make it work for us.
I have been doing a lot of personal development tasks over the weekend including downloading and starting to read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about money.
One of the things the author Robert Kiyosaki says is that there is a reason the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich. A lot of it has to do with how we were raised and what we were taught about money.
What were you taught about money?
I'm curious what some of you were taught about money growing up?
Personally, I was taught to not use credit. If I couldn't pay cash for it, then I didn't need the item. I feel that is reasonable.
But I was also constantly told that we "couldn't afford this or that." We didn't have much money when I was growing up. But we had everything we needed.
My dad dreamed of having money to do whatever he and my mom wanted to do. It didn't happen until later in their life. Now they are both
I want to teach my granddaughter differently about money. I want her to learn to master money and not be its slave. It is about changing our mindset about money.
I will share more about what I learn over the coming weeks if anyone is interested. I think there are many lessons to be learned about money that can help us in our approach to making it and making it work for us!
Hope you all have a great and productive week.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin
Recent Comments
53
Thanks for sharing and making everyone think how they view my money. Many of the fears of money, or the lack of, comes from our parents or other adults that made an impression on our young minds. Like money is the root of all evil. We must all reprogram are subconscious where these thoughts are buried.
Money is financial freedom and helps us provide for our family. Don’t focus on the money as a gauge of success. Just keep working hard and doing the right thing and the money will follow. I look forward to your next blog on this important subject
Take care Karin
Thank you. I look forward to learning more and sharing it with you.
I think understanding money is key to helping us understand our businesses, as well.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
I'm very interested in more money blogs, Karin
Interesting that I never noticed if money had a good smell or bad smell. I could always smell a freshly, printed newspaper that was just delivered to the door. But dollars? I would have to get up really close, or have a lot of bills to really smell it.
When I was young and had my first job making $100/week, I had decent common sense to know not to blow the entire $100 before the week was out, or else I'd be broke! If I spend $30, then I have $70 leftover in saving. And over time, it accumulates. Seems simple to me, but it might as well be "rocket science" to others who overspend and get into debt.
Thanks for the post!
Isaiah 😊
Thanks for your comment, Isaiah. Great observation. I don't really "smell" my money either (unless I accidently wash it, then it smells nice!).
Many let money control them. I am learning how to control mine and I want to let others know what I am learning.
Best to you, Isaiah!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Good post, Karin. Main thing I remember about money is that we didn't have any. I was born at the end of the great depression when people literally didn't have any money. My folks principle was if you don't have the money (cash) for it, then you don't need it. My dad built our house-literally- and built some of the furniture we had in our house. I still have a few things he built. They practiced frugality throughout their whole lifetime. I have to say World War 2 lifted a lot of people out of poverty- including my family. Dad went to work for the naval shipyard and was paid well.
That's when my folks bought some land and dad built our house I finally got the bicycle I had wanted for so long when I was sixteen.
Money is a necessity .It buys the things we need to live, but it shouldn't rule our lives. the way we use it, how we use it is what counts.
Thank you for your comments, Barb. Yeah, not having any is an easy way to remember something about money. We didn't have much, but my parents were all about saving. That was when saving actually added up to something!
That is cool that your dad built your house and furniture. Even cooler that you still have some of it!
The problem for some is that money does rule their lives. They are a slave to the almighty dollar. It really is sad. But it is an easy trap to fall into because for many, that is what we've been taught.
I am not implying that we don't have to work for our money, but once we have some, let that stuff start to work for us! I'm working on how that part works!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
I read Rich Dad Poor Dad many years ago and it is a really good book.It is all about mindset and emotional states.
You are so right in teaching your child another perspective on how to look at money. That is great!
Personally I was taught :
nothing is free -
You have to work for it and take responsability for your own happiness because no one else will
Nothing is impossible if you are focused enough.
there is always at least 5 solutions to a problem
be helpful to others.
I like that, there are at least 5 solutions to a problem! I really really like that!
Thank you for reading and commenting on the post.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
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Karin,
I know I've answered this before, but I have a question that you may be able to help me with - or any other Ambassador that happens to read this.
I'll preface this by saying I've done all the lessons I've read Google's info on AdSense, Word Press info, but something is not working and I don't know what it is. Yes, also Marion Black an Feigner tutorials I have installed Ad-Inserter, but I still can't get it to work. I've spent two months on this.
I had to get rid of an ad blocker on my computer. that's gone and I hoped that was the big problem . But not so.
I've got code on my latest post after Paragraph 2 , 5, 9. but no ads. I think I have setup Ad-inserter correctly- but something is not right.
If you have any ideas or help, I'll be grateful.
https://My-Pet-Toys-and-Stuff.com/How-to-train-your-dog-and-cat-to-get-along/
Thank you
What theme are you using, Barb? I know when I insert code, I have to switch something when I do it on the actual wordpress site. I will send you a private message later with a couple of examples, but if you tell me what your theme is, I can easily show you what I think you need to do. 😃
Thanks, Barb... Let me know. I have to work for a bit now, but I will watch for your message.
Karin
Karin, thanks for helping. My mind is so muddled with too much information. My theme is twenty-sixteen.