Patriot Realm

Of recent days, it has come to my attention that being thrifty is something that is not much admired these days. And it all started with a teabag..... 

There’s a razor-thin line between prudence and being, well, a miser.

And it got me thinking about the leprechaun ... Leprechauns, with their legendary pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, seem to be poster figures for hoarding wealth. But are they truly misers, or are they just exceptionally prudent?

So here we go down a Shaydee rabbit hole all about Leprechauns, teabags and misers.... 

Let’s be real: Leprechauns don’t exactly share their wealth freely. They guard their pots of gold like it’s the only thing tethering them to reality. 

Much like we feel today when our banks refuse us access to our money. Are leprechauns merely little chaps who got a handle on it long before we did?  

Leprechauns may simply be paragons of long-term planning. You never see a leprechaun shopping frivolously or showing off fancy clothes. They keep a low profile, steer clear of waste, and only engage with the outside world when absolutely necessary. Perhaps their “hoarding” is just a well-thought-out savings plan, a rainy-day fund on a legendary scale. After all, they’ve been around for centuries...so whatever they’re doing seems to be working.

( In fact, I have just realised I might be a leprechaun.) 

Leprechauns understand the value of a good nest egg, and they’re not about to squander their hard-earned gold on passing fads. Unlike our government's current pre occupation with renewables. 

So back to teabags.

You see, Redhead and I do not throw away a teabag after one use. No, no, before you mock, we are the Queen Bees of recycling.  I challenge Adam Bandt to use a tea bag twice or for Albanese or Kamala Harris to knock back a freebie ... 

The wisdom of thrift does not mean being a miser. Just the opposite... 

What a shame that our politicians do not even understand the difference between the two words, let alone put them into practice.   

Well, I am no miser. And neither is Redhead. 

I suppose much of this comes back to my upbringing.

You see, we were not poor. Most of our neighbours were. We were seen as rich.  But we were not. It was simply that Dad did not go to the six o' clock swill and didn't gamble. They didn't smoke and they rarely drank. That freed up money for things like shoes, clothes and food. Mum kept a tight rein on the purse strings. And Dad was quite happy to hand over his pay packet to his wife: the bookkeeper. To this day, Redhead has a tally of her spending. Every trip to the supermarket is recorded in her log of expenditure. 

When I think about it, the teabag recycling is the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  I grew up in a home based on thrift.  

We are not and never have been miserly. We are generous to a fault. In fact, we are both known for being overly generous when we have received good service for a job well done. 

Redhead is a tremendously generous tipper.  So why are we recycling teabags?

I guess it because we want value for money. It does not matter if it is a 10 cent teabag or a $2000 air conditioner. We believe that when we spend money we should get something of value back.

The miser takes it further. They’ll buy ten packs of discounted sardines, simply because it’s cheaper....even if they hate sardines. The prudent person will assess their needs, get that extra jar of jam on sale, and feel satisfied that they’ve met their frugality quota without having to buy something that can only be enjoyed by the family cat who hates sardines anyway.

Being prudent is about making thoughtful choices. 

In conclusion, our family hates debt. If you do not have the money then do not rely on a loan to solve a problem. Just do a Redhead and look to the bookkeeping. 

If our politicians ran our country like Redhead, we would not be in debt. 

Instead, our politicians spend like drunken sailors ( unlike my late Dad who was a sailor most triumphant ) and hope that a credit card will sort the problem out.

The problem is that successive governments have been to the pub, gambled, drunk at the six o'clock swill and are now telling us that it is not their fault.

Tell that to the kids that lived next door to me who envied me my shoes and my full belly.   

The tragedy is that people like Mum and Dad and us are paying for the people who live lives of irresponsibility.  

I hate to think what Dad would say to that.

Probably something about thank God we reused the tea bags. 

Because our governments sure as faith do not.