My two cents

I don’t mean to be insensitive.

I know each person has his or her own level of comfort and standards. Everyone’s measure of what is a livable income is different.

But lately, the discussion of personal income among local government employees has been a hot topic issue in my small town, which is by no means immune from the economic difficulties plaguing the nation.

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I certainly sympathize with the emotions associated with cuts in salary, hours and benefits. Two years ago, I was cut from being full-time to three-quarters time, a change that resulted in a significantly reduced salary. This fall, our health insurance was changed to a high-deductible plan, which increases our likelihood of hefty medical bills. Changes like these are a blow to your self-worth and it’s hard not to take them personally.

What I can’t sympathize with is the attitude of entitlement that seems to permeate the discussion. Quite frankly, you can’t live outside your means for years, only to complain when your salary is adjusted to better reflect the ability of the community that pays it.

I speak from a position of strength here as the wife of a church worker: When you work for a large group of people (a congregation or a community), you don’t do it for the money. You can make better money elsewhere, I can promise you. But you do it for the joy of serving — you simply must — or else you’ll buckle under the weight of dissatisfaction.

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I’m pretty conservative with my finances.

Here are my guidelines:

If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.  

Pay your bills on time and in full.

Cushion your savings account for emergencies.

Set aside a tithe for your church.

Shop second-hand when possible.

Be grateful for what you have … there are many others who make do with much, much less.

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Above all, I believe in being a good steward of what God has given me and that’s why I *try* not to complain.

Do I get paid what I’m worth? No. Does the Captain get paid what he’s worth? No. But then, there’s more to a job than a paycheck.