In my junior year of college in 1974, I was living on the $10 a week that Mom sent. Dad had recently retired. One day, I went to the post office and found a letter from the Social Security Administration. It was a check for $142.50, a benefit of my dad’s retirement. Neither parent had told me about it.

I treated my whole gang of friends to dinner (and lots of beer) that Saturday. I don’t remember the total bill, but I had lots of money left over. I opened my first bank account, and I never worried about money again. Whatever I had was enough.

Paul Lancaster, Blacksburg, Virginia

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…