Raising four children on my husband's teacher's salary and managing the expenses on a day-to-day basis was tough, to be sure. Our children didn't get a shopping trip to the mall for new clothes each August. They knew they wore hand-me-downs, what was on sale or what was at Good Will. Meals were prepared from scratch from food bought at the off-price grocery store. We didn't drink sodas. We seldom went out to eat and the children knew when we did, it was ONE thing off the dollar menu, water to drink, and split the fries. Vacations were to relatives. No cable, of course, but we seldom watched television as it was.

My depression-raised mother taught me to hate waste. Throwing away leftovers is a sin. Even now mother, who is now comfortable financially in her own right, has gone dumpster-diving with us!

I made sure they learned important things: to cook, to sew, to clean, to work together, to play piano, to respect teachers even when the teachers are wrong, and to take responsibility for themselves. I taught them forgiveness, honesty and integrity. I taught them that they weren't "victims" and that designer clothes didn't make a person "better".

Sadly, my children couldn't qualify for scholarships based on need because we aren't in debt. So they are paying for college themselves, as my husband and I did. One is in the army, one has huge student loans, one is working hard during school and during breaks, and the last is the most frugal and had the first two years in the bank before she even went to college. 

They are now 19-25, and what do they say to me about the way they were raised? Did they feel it was unfair that we didn't keep up the Jones's? To the contrary, I have a great relationship with all of them, and they are happy, well-rounded individuals. They get along with each other and are financially stable. They are grateful to have learned the value of money.

I am surprised at the things they have thanked me for. Each one is appreciative that we taught them not to crave soft drinks and to enjoy water. They are grateful they know how to cook. One complained that she couldn't find enough vegetables on her self-paid trip to Italy! They think it is funny to watch their friends swoon over brand names, rock stars, and first run movies. They pay off credit every month.

But what makes me proudest is that they take a personal responsibility for their own needs. They blow me away with their zest for life and how they are going after it! Each has grasped and caught a brass ring. As I hear of their accomplishments, I wonder "where did I go right?" They are making a difference for the better in the world, and all without designer blue jeans.