“Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

Gordon B. Hinckley spoke on 10 things he believes. I really like his 7th believe:

Seven: I believe in the principle of thrift. We are witnessing in society tremendous business failures to a degree and an extent we have not seen in a long while. Many of these are the fruits of imprudent borrowing, of debts so large they cannot be paid. In America, we have seen billions upon billions lost in the failure of savings and loan institutions that have been forced to the wall because borrowers did not meet their obligations. We have seen strong banks shaken and brought to their knees because those to whom they loaned money could not pay their debts. I think of a great international airline whose assets were recently sold. It could not meet its obligations. Once it was looked upon as the leading commercial airline of the world. I have used its services to many far-flung areas where this once-mighty monarch was easily the best to be had. But it lost its sense of leadership, it borrowed beyond its ability to pay, and area by area, it has sold its routes and is now dead.

“American business now devotes 50 percent of its earnings to debt service, double the level 15 years ago.” (U.S. News and World Report, 15 October 1990, p. 136.)

But this problem is not confined to business institutions. It is shared by individuals in countless numbers. Within a period of one year, U.S. consumer nonmortgage debt increased 27 billion dollars. “The typical family now spends 30 percent on debt service, compared with 20 percent a year ago.” (Ibid.)

Our pioneer forebears lived by the adage “Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

Reasonable debt for the purchase of an affordable home and perhaps for a few other necessary things is acceptable. But from where I sit, I see in a very vivid way the terrible tragedies of many who have unwisely borrowed for things they really do not need.

President Heber J. Grant once said, “If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live within [one’s] means. And if there is any one thing that is grinding and discouraging and disheartening, it is to have debts and obligations that one cannot meet.” (Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941, p. 111.)

I Believe. 1992 BY PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY

When I first read this I thought it was written more recently. It stunned me that it was written back in 1992. It seems to me that it very well applies to recent years.  My husband was unemployed and/or underemployed for awhile a couple of years ago. It has helped me realize how important it is to be frugal and wise with all that we are blessed with. I do not profess to be all that great at it, but I thought I would share some simple things to...“Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

RAG Curlers

1. Take scrap material and cut/tear them into six inch strips about 2 inches wide (some of mine are 1 inch wide).

2. Wet hair and wrap/roll hair with the material in it. I usually place the hair about 1/2 way along the 6 inch strip so there is room to tie.  I wrap hair under, I'm sure you could do it over, whatever feels comfortable. Tie strips of material making sure not to tie in hair. The smaller sections of hair you wrap the curlier your hair will turn out.   I think I used around 10-12 for the hair below.   Leave in overnight or until hair is completely dry.

3. Untie material and slowly unwrap hair from material. This may seem a bit tedious, but it takes 10 minutes for me to wrap at night and 5 to unwrap in the morning.

Voila...beautiful curly hair!