Me: Despite me being diagnosed with MS in 2002, I use a small exercise bicycle under my table and enjoy gardening and staying active. I have always had a strong emphasis on: “paying yourself first,” consistent saving (using the ‘three-bucket concept’), not losing principal on investments, living by the Golden Rule, and “treating every day as if it’s Sunday” (being kind and respectful every day--I learned this from my parents).
Dad: My father was born in 1933 and served in the Air Force for 30 years. He raised five children on Air Force pay with a non-working spouse who suffered from MS. He was very frugal, punctual, a non-procrastinator, believed in ‘paying yourself first’, returning borrowed items in better condition than received, and doing things right the first time. He taught me how to save using three “buckets” and started my first IRA with a $250 deposit after I repaid him for a car.
Mom: My mother, as mentioned earlier, was diagnosed with MS at age 28. She was largely homebound, could not drive, and had an allowance that she rarely spent. My father eventually opened a savings account with her accumulated cash. I remember her mostly seated with a typewriter and a “nest” of needed items. She passed away in 1999.
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