Good advice also found in U.S.

Published 1:38 pm Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Regarding the Sunday business article, “What I learned from my Soviet husband about money”:

I learned about money from my parents as I was growing up here in the U.S. during the Depression.

1. Use what you have.

2. Fix it, don’t replace it.

3. Learn how to DIY.

4. Repurpose what you can.

5. Be mindful of your spending.

When growing up Mom mended all our clothing, including socks; she also made us clothes. We wore hand-me-downs. Dad made toys and blocks from scrap wood. He fixed everything that needed fixing around the house and property including his car. We grew most of what we ate, including a large vegetable garden, had pigs and chickens and went out berry picking every year. Even had an outhouse. We played outside whenever possible. Mom had a wringer washer and hung clothes on a line. I still hang clothes out during the summer. We did not have a phone until I was about 10. Then it was not a “toy” to be played with, it was a 10-party line. We had a radio (there was no such thing as TV when I was growing up.)

So my example was set right here in the United States by my parents and I did the same for my kids.

R. Cordes

Snohomish