The Money Jar

Laura sat at the kitchen table holding her head in her hands as if she was having the biggest headache in the world.

Amanda and Sue, her six and eight year old daughters came in to get some cereal.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Amanda asked.

"The electric company called. They are going to shut the power off if I don't pay the bill today."

"Can't daddy help?" Sue asked.

"I tried to call Daddy at work. But he is on the road today. I'm not sure if he is going to be home by the time the electric company comes."

"Well, don't we have the money to pay for the electric company?" Sue asked. "I thought you got paid yesterday."

"Yes," Laura said. "But I had to pay the car insurance bill. I was going to pay the electric bill next week. I have enough to pay it today. But I am only going to have enough left over for gas and groceries. I'm sorry but I promise you that we will go to Chuckie Cheese next week."

"But you promised that you would take Amanda and me today!" Sue threw down her bowl on the table.

"Sue! Don't be so selfish!" her younger sister yelled at her.

"What do you want to do, sit in the house with no television or computer or lights? Look at all those videos and games mommy and daddy bought for us. What good will they be when we can't watch them?"

"I'm sorry Mom," Sue said quietly. "I just get frustrated when you and dad get paid and all you do is pay bills."

"I know honey. But on the bright side, some of these bills are going to be paid off within a year. Plus I will be getting a raise in a few months."

"Bills!" Amanda exclaimed. "When I become president of the United States I will make a law where nobody has to pay any bills!"

Sue and Laura laughed at the younger child's campaign speech.

"You have my vote," Laura said.

"Girls, give me a few minutes. I'm going to call the electric company again. Maybe I will get somebody to give me an extension."

The two girls cleaned their dishes. "God, please help my mommy," Amanda prayed quietly.

After a few minutes of talking on the phone Laura was able to negotiate with the electric company. She had to pay the bill next week, which she knew she was able to do.

"Girls, change of plans. We're going!"

"Yippee!" both girls jumped up and down.

"Wait Mom!" Amanda shouted. "We have that big bag of tickets we have been saving."

"Yeah!" Sue said. "Maybe we will have enough for the lava lamp."

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A couple hours later mother and daughters entered the house.

"A few more trips, Mom, and we will have enough tickets!" Amanda said, storing the bag back in the closet.

"I am going to start saving part of my allowance each week," Sue said.

"That's great, Sue," Laura said.

"Why don't you girls watch a movie while I think about what to make for dinner."

"Oh, Mom!" Amanda said, holding her stomach. "We are stuffed. Why don't you order something to make it easy on you. Just don't order pizza."

"Just make something for Daddy. Popcorn will be great for us. Come on, Amanda! Let's watch a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie."

Amanda stuck her finger in her mouth pretending to gag. But she followed her sister out of the room. "Then we watch my Barney movie!"

"Oh no! Dumb Dumb Barney!"

Laura heated up the coffee and poured herself a cup. Adding her usual cream and sugar she sat down to sort the mail. The usual-junk mail (especially those that promise to make you rich overnight)-and bills (but no disconnect notices this time).

Laura sat at the table sipping her coffee and thinking.

"What happened," she thought to herself. "I used to pay the bills on time and had money left over each week."

She and her husband both had good paying jobs and lately seemed to be living paycheck to paycheck. And they seemed to be sinking further and further into debt.

Filing for bankruptcy was out of the question. Sure it was an easy way out. However, it would hurt her chances down the line if she ever needed to get another new car. A bankruptcy showing up on her credit report would hurt her chance of ever getting a loan.

"God," she prayed silently to herself. "You know our financial situation. I need your help to get us out of debt. I can't do this on my own. I put my trust in you."

Laura suddenly remembered something Sue had said after they had returned from Chuckie Cheese: 'I am going to start saving part of my allowance each week.'

Laura sat and thought some more. Then she had an idea.

Sue grabbed a couple of jars from the sink that she had cleaned for the recycling bins.

"This just might work," Laura thought to herself.

She walked into the living room. Sue was engrossed in the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie.

Amanda was jumping around pretending to be sick.

"Sue and Amanda, can I see you in the kitchen as soon as your movie is over?"

"Sure Mom," Sue said. "It is almost over."

"But Mom," Amanda complained. "I was going to watch Barney next."

This time it was Sue who pretended to be sick. "Mom we have to buy another VCR for the TV upstairs. That way we can watch what we want."

"Well this won't take long, then Amanda you can watch Barney."

Fifteen minutes later both girls were sitting at the kitchen table, looking questionably at the jars on the table and at their mother.

"Girls, remember how worried I was this morning about paying the electric bill this morning?"

"Yeah," Sue said. "We never would have gone to Chuckie Cheese this morning. Thanks for talking to the electric company. I'm sorry we got mad at you."

"I did not get mad," Amanda said. "I got mad at you for getting mad at Mom."

"Oh that's right," Sue said. "But why this big meeting in the kitchen?"

"Well, Sue, it is something you said about saving part of your allowance. You know about a hundred years ago people didn't have credit cards or get bank loans.

"They used jars to keep their money in. They used to save money in a different jar for each thing they needed."

"Like groceries," Sue asked.

"And clothing?" Amanda put it.

"That's right," Laura continued.

"The families back in those days would have a money jar set aside for heating, food, clothing, doctor bills, school supplies and so forth.

"What I want to do is start a money jar system." Laura reached into her pants and pulled out a handful of coins and dropped them into the jar.

"I am starting out by adding these coins. It's a drop in the bucket but if we stick to this it can really add up."

"How many jars do we need, Mom?" Amanda asked.

"Well, that's what we need to figure out. Your Dad and I have bills to pay each month. Your Dad pays the truck payment, buys groceries, and pays the rent. I pay the car payment, car insurance payment and medical bills. We normally pay these bills on time so we probably don't need money jars for these bills."

"We need school supplies and lunch money," Amanda said.

"And school clothes," Sue said.

"But we can bring our own lunch, Amanda said.

Sue thought for a moment, "We have plenty of clothes from last year, so I guess we don't need new clothes, except maybe sneakers. Plus we can always get clothes from church."

"Well." Laura said, "This jar will be the school money jar. That way if you want to buy your lunch some day or want to save up for some new clothes you will have the money.

"I also want to start a money jar each for the cable, electric and phone bills."

"Yeah," Amanda said. "Sue wouldn't want the electric shut off while she is watching Mary-Kate and Ashley."

"Or Dumb Dumb Barney," Sue retorted.

"Girls, we can also set up a money jar so we can save up for another VCR."

"Oh Mom! That is a great idea!" both girls shouted.

"Any other ideas for money jars?"

"Christmas shopping!"

"Birthdays!"

"Oh my I am drawing a blank!"

"There are too many ideas!"

"Well I think we have discussed this enough for today," Laura said. "I will try to put money in the jars each week and see if your daddy will do the same. If you put a little of your allowance in each week and any loose change you find around the house, these money jars will fill up fast."

"Come on Sue, Amanda said running out of the kitchen. "I have some change up in my room! Then we can watch Mary-Kate and Ashley!"

"Hey! That's my line!" Sue said following Amanda out of the kitchen.

Laura,, feeling much better than she had earlier that morning, placed the money jar on the kitchen shelf, feeling hope for the future.

What would you save for in a money jar?