Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Taking A Chance On The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge and also today's entry in the A-Z Blog Challenge (scroll to question #6). Which by the way, is kicking my booty and the reason you're getting a combo today. If you've answered this week's HP questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Hodgepodge links only please. Thanks! Now here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. Find a penny. Look at the date and tell us something about your life or what you were doing that year? 

This is when having a blog is helpful. The first penny I picked up was dated 2016, so not all that old.  We were smack dab in the middle of our home build that year, and in April I was blogging through the alphabet with posts about building, but also about home in general. 

Which looked like this-


Time flies when you're having fun. 

2. Were you given an allowance as a child? Did you have to earn it in some way? Did you learn to save money when you were a child or is that something you figured out as an adult? 

I was given an allowance as a child, at least for a short time. I feel like my parents tried, but we might have had to remind them? They had four kids so I get it. We definitely had chores to do, although they were not tied in with the allowance. They were tied in with being a child and also a member of a family where everyone does their part. I agree with that philosophy and raised my girls the same way. 

As far as learning to save...my parents were wise with their money. They didn't overspend and they lived on a budget so I suppose I took that to heart. We were taught to put money in the offering plate each week and to save for things we wanted to buy because in 1970-something most parents didn't buy their kids the latest anything on a random Tuesday. We waited for our birthday or Christmas to roll around or we saved babysitting money/allowance money/birthday money to buy those things ourselves. We learned that want and need are not the same thing. 

I guess the biggest thing I learned was to work. Work hard, don't spend beyond your means, give to those in need, and save for a rainy day/emergency. 

3. April 23rd is National Take A Chance Day...what's a chance you need or want to take?

Pretty sure writing should be my answer.

4. What's some outdated slang you seem to use a little too often? 

hip (as in something is hip or not hip) is the first slang that springs to mind. My kids inform me if I use the word then I'm definitely not-ha.  

I feel like we should ask them to answer this one for me. I'm sure they could give you a long list. I like words and sometimes slang serves a purpose. 

5. It's National Poetry month and I always like to make us work our brains a little...

Roses are red
Violets are blue
....you fill in the rest with something original...

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm sick of Covid
Aren't you? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm going to use this space today for my A-Z Blog Challenge entry, and since we're talking money (sort of) I thought it would be fun to do some price comparisons. 

R is for Rising Costs and Changing Times

When Nana was 4...

gas was .25/gallon 
milk was 1.06/gallon
1st class stamp was .05
pay phone was .10
movie ticket was .93

When Nana was 4 most families only had one car. They wrote letters because if you wanted to communicate with someone who didn't live in your own house that was your best and most reliable option. Then you waited a couple of weeks or more and they wrote back. The world was in less of a hurry back then. Pay phones were prevalent and people always had a dime on them in case they needed to make a phone call. Going to the movies was a real treat and a much looked forward to outing

When your Momma was 4-

gas was 1.13/gallon
milk was 2.78/gallon
1st class stamp was .29
pay phone was .25
movie ticket 4.15

When your momma was 4 most families we knew had two cars. They still wrote letters because it was still the best, most efficient way of communicating with people who didn't live in your own house. Pay phones were still everywhere but now you needed a quarter in your pocket 'in case of emergency'. Going to the movies was a fun night out

When you are 4-

gas is 2.58/gallon and climbing
milk is 3.59/gallon
1st class stamp is .55
pay phones . 50 if you can find one
movie ticket 9.16

Today most families we know have at least two cars, more if they have teenagers living at home. A stamp? What do I do with that? Pay phones are few and far between but that doesn't matter because almost everyone has a phone on their person. 

Except we rarely make phone calls because texting is easier. We text friends many states away and we text family members who happen to be upstairs when we're downstairs. In the very same house. 

While theaters still exist these days we prefer to watch in our pjs from the comfort of our own homes. Sometimes on the phones we hold in our hands. 

"It's funny how day by day, nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different." 
author unknown

14 comments:

  1. You are so smart to combine your two posts for today! I should have done that, too. Love your answers today. In my post I said that I didn't learn to save growing up but I did watch my parents scrimp and save . . .for some reason it just didn't stick with me! :-)

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  2. Learning to save money and the difference between need and want, something I learned at home. Watching my parents save and provide for us is a trait I have. Years ago, kids took a finance class in high school, the county did away with this required class; a couple of years ago, the class was brought back...now required!

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  3. Great post Joyce. I especially enjoyed the A-Z Post. Oh the memories.

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  4. I grew up in the 80s and my parents didn't buy us much either. Birthdays and Christmas, pretty much. I know I took that with me into adulthood - both for things I want to buy myself and for my kids. They aren't fond of it but it's a good way to live and save!

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  5. You're home is a wonderful blessing. Of course being in the middle of construction is never fun. I know you are so proud of it, as you should be. I didn't have much structure. By the time I would be doing things around the house my mother was not in a good place. My dad pretty much worked from noon to midnight. Yes, writing a book would be right up your alley. Great job on the poetry. Enjoy the rest of your work.

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  6. I love your parent's philosophy about learning to save! Giggling over your poetry ... gotta find levity where we can, right? Oh, your retrospective sure ignites memories. When mother and dad splurged on a long-distance call, it was usually accompanied by a little 3-min. hourglass.

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  7. I'm sure that you are glad you built your home in 2016 and not 2020 or 21. Just waiting for supplies is taking months now.
    Yep, I learned, if you want something, work and save for it.
    Thanks, as always, for hosting this!

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  8. I always say I am going to do the A to Z challenge, but I never do. Maybe one of these times. The other day, I tried to fist bump my 12 year old daughter and got the eye roll and "you are so cringy" response, so I feel your pain about "hip" not being cool. lol. I guess we can be uncool together! Thanks for hosting... this is one of my favorite hops. :-)

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  9. I so remember those days in 2016 when you were posting about the new house. Time does have a way of messing with us. Doesn't seen that long ago, but there it is. I enjoyed the Hodgepodge today AND your A-Z post. This month is flying by too. xo

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  10. You are a real poet and very romantic lol ! Should have thought of that too ! Yes prices are raising and here in Europe blame the Euro for this which is not true at all, because the UK stayed with their pounds and the prices increased the same way. Of course when they switched from Belgian Francs to Euros it was not so easy and we still calculated in Francs. The Germans with their DM suddenly had half of their salary ! If you earned 1000 DM you suddenly had 500 Euros in pocket !

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  11. I really loved question 6 and seeing how things have changed over time. I was given an allowance and it was tied into chores; mostly. My kids have chores but they don't have an allowance. They do have jobs they can do to earn money and are expected to pay for all their own stuff aside from clothes, shoes, food and maybe books (though that seems dependent on my mood) or else wait for birthday/ Christmas/ holiday and hope they get what they wanted.

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  12. It is hard to believe that you have been in your house this long, and yet, it seems like only yesterday we were walking through that process with you. It is such a lovely retreat and you have definitely made it "home." The cost comparisons was so interesting since I cover all those eras. So much has changed.

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  13. What a fun random thought for your grands to view later in life! Fun to see your house in construction phase. Groovey! :) I'll be back this coming Wednesday for the podge...Lord willing!

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  14. Joyce,

    I loved how you incorporated the letter 'R' in the A2Z challenge. This is a marvelous idea that I will borrow. I think I will write a letter for our granddaughter's 3rd birthday in October using this as a guideline. How cool!

    Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog Looney Tunes A-Z Art Sketch

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