The last century has seen a decline in the overall character of man. On a national level the moral compass of our society has tilted far from “true north” so to speak. We see this through the lack of morality on television and in movies. We can see it through the increased crime rates in every city in America. We see it through an increase in crimes that in times past were absolutely unheard of.

We also see this decline in the financial world in the way businesses and government conduct their money as well as how individual’s view their own financial responsibilities. The decline in money morality has resulted in near catastrophic recession in the last decade which forced many Americans out of their homes and into foreclosure and bankruptcy. During that time period many people were comparing the events to those of the 1930s in which “The Great Depression” had a similar effect on American families.

However, the people of that time period had a much different outlook on money than our generation does now. And despite what many think, “The Great Depression” was far more disastrous to the American economic landscape than our recent recession was. And yet those individuals somehow survived and came out on the other side of it with an even stronger commitment to their money morality. So what did these folks so different from us?

Needs vs. Wants

Earlier generations knew how to tell themselves, “No!” Wanting something was irrelevant to the decision making. Was there cash with which to buy the item? Was there something more pressing that needed to be done with that cash? Would this purchase make any real contribution to the well-being of my family? These were questions that these individuals took very seriously and considered before making a purchase. Wanting something was not the end all in financial decision making. Putting your wants dead last was common practice. How about for you? Have you matured to the place where you can manfully put your wants last?

Fix it First?

Our great grandparents were also a generation of fixers. People not only understood the importance of repairing their possessions but they too the time to learn how to repair them. Today the idea of learning a new skill so that you could maintain some of your more expensive possessions seems obsolete. It never even enters someone’s head that if you are about to invest in something you should also learn how to repair it. Lawnmowers, major appliances and vehicles are just a few of the major investments that many people will simply toss out when they quit. Less expensive items as well such as clothing, furniture and even our children’s toys can all be repaired before tossing. Take the time to learn how to fix your things before replacing them.

Why Clutter?

Older generations were a breed of minimalists which have all but died out. They knew what they needed and that was what they had. They did not simply accumulate possessions just to accumulate them. The decent away from this type of thinking is apparent in the rash of personal storage facilities which have popped up all over our country in the last thirty years or so. It is not an uncommon thing for any given family on your street to have a storage facility in town packed with stuff. This is apparently stuff that isn’t needed on a day-to-day basis since it is not at their home. Why do we want so many things? Taking a sincere look at our spending addictions and our possession addictions would not only help us financially but will also make a difference in the level of clutter both in our homes and in our brains.