$10 Down and $5 a Month

I’m the keeper of my parents’ photo albums. And trust me, they left an abundance of them.

The above photograph is one I’ve noticed for years, in and among pictures of family, friends, parties and vacations. I never thought much about it, however, until a couple years ago when I was making a copy of a neighboring photo. It was then I took the above photo out to inspect it a little closer. And what I discovered – on the back – was my mom’s handwriting.

1950 – our first television – $10 down and $5/ month

And suddenly this became one of my favorite keepsake photos – because it offered one more piece of insight into my parents’ world. And values.

Of course they took a photo of this prized possession! They were a couple of young, broke kids and what they had in the younger years of their married life together they earned themselves. And while they didn’t yet have kids of their own back in 1950 (if they only knew that five boys were in their horizon!) I’m quite confident that they exercised the same budgeting strategies they used  – and taught – my four brothers and me:

• Plan for bigger purchases;

• Shop around for the best deal;

• Save your pennies and – as often as you can – pay cash.

My folks used that same approach their entire life – even in the later years when they were fortunate with their financial resources. Heck, they were probably more fortunate in those later years because they lived by those very simple strategies.

$10 down and $5 a month. 

How the world has changed since they bought that cherished RCA black and white television.

But what hasn’t changed are those simple rules. Golden Mom and Dad. Absolutely golden.