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8 Adar 5762 - February 20, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family
Everything in Moderation
by Rosally Saltsman

I have previously discussed the two money personality types of the low-maintenance person and the economical person who knows how to live life simply and to its fullest. I would like to mention a third type, the one who lives in moderation.

I have a friend like this. This is the kind of person who can stop at one potato chip. To illustrate the different mindsets of these three types, let us use ice cream as an example. The low maintenance person may refuse the ice cream altogether, or just have a lick of yours. The economical person will buy a box of an inexpensive brand. The moderate person may buy a premium ice cream but only eat one scoop, while I polish off the rest of the container. French Vanilla, please.

I was thinking of my friend the other day. I usually bring a bottle of Coke to my aerobic dance class to quench my thirst and keep my sugar and caffeine levels up. The other day, I forgot and so I bought a bottle en route home. But remembering my friend, I didn't finish the bottle. I stopped when I had quenched my thirst.

My son is also a moderate consumer type. If I offer to buy him something and he doesn't need it, he'll tell me not to bother, thanks. People who live in moderation can be high maintenance and have rich tastes. The way they save money, though, is in the amounts they consume. They are easily satisfied and so they can get by on a small amount of whatever it is they are consuming. They won't buy or ask for something they don't really need or want just in order to have it. This friend of mine has a few good friends, makes a small number of phone calls, eats little and doesn't have too many clothes. Whatever they purchase is always top quality and they have a high standard of living. But since they are easily and quickly satisfied, a modest amount of whatever suffices.

You can tell moderate people by the fact that they only eat when they're hungry, don't own things they'll never use (just in case), don't hoard supplies, are very good at calculating just how much of any resource they'll need (money, food, time, energy, space), are generous (because they don't feel the need to have things for themselves), know where things are (because they don't acquire a lot, though they'll keep things other people give them) and value what they own. They are also easygoing and accepting.

The beauty of this system is that even if you are high maintenance, have many expenses and find it hard to compromise your tastes, you can still save money and/or spend less if you follow the Rambam's Golden Rule.

If you can make something last longer, buy the smaller size or get by with less, you're likely not only to save money but enjoy a few more fringe benefits like losing weight, saving time and perfecting a couple of traits like modesty-humility, self control and hakoras hatov on the way to the middle path. And then you're sure to find it paved with gold - - but not too much.

 

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