Old(er) Retired Man: I’m tellin’ ya, keepin’ out of debt is the key.
Me: It certainly is.
ORM: I’m not braggin’ but my wife and me have given each of our three daughters a parcel of land and a house. One acre for each of them and I even paid to get their trailers hooked up.
Me: [Pause] Wow. That’s so generous.
ORM: The temptation to want more things is bigger than heck.
Me: Yes, larger than heck. Large indeed.
ORM: In fact, the missus and me fish all the time and we wanted a bigger boat. So we came down to the bank and got a bunch of cash.
ORM: I laid it on the coffee table in front of the TV and we watched it one afternoon. I thought long and hard about that boat. Finally, me and the missus took the money back to the bank.
Me: Ahh.
ORM: See? Writing checks makes spending too easy. Always use cash, young lady. Remember that!!
Me: [Pause] Yes, sir.