Why is it the older we get the more pessimistic we become?

And not only do we become pessimistic but we also become opinionated as well. Now I have written several times about how I am slowly becoming an Ebenezer Scrooge. My paternal grandmother has always been that way. For instance, years ago she discovered that wrapping gifts in newspaper saved her a few dollars because she didn't have to buy wrapping paper. The concept is good save the blackened hands after the gift was unopened.
 
This woman probably has the first dollar she ever made and has worked hard for everything she has. From her I learned that when we finance something we are giving someone else control of our money. When you think about that powerful statement you realize the old girl is right. I find myself becoming more like her the older I get and I was faced head on with this over the Christmas holidays.
 
Now I have seen the TV commercials for charge cards. We all have. What I can't figure out is why people want to charge everything. But hey, I was there once, thank God I learned my lesson. When you go into the big department stores they offer you a 15% discount if you open a charge account. Oh what a great deal most people say. But in reading the fine print on the account offer we learn that the interest rate is 20% or more.
 
One of my clients is an employee for a financial company and the busiest time of year for her business is the holidays. Really? I can safely say that is something I have never done, borrow money for Christmas presents. Yet so many do. My own father confessed that had it not been for charge cards he could not have bought Christmas. It was with shock and disbelief that I turned to him and said, "Really, that's kind of idiotic don't you think?" If  it means going to the poor house to buy Christmas leave my gift at the store, please. Of course he had a good explanation, we always do. The poor get poorer.
 
Now conspiracy theorists would say it was a huge plan by the government to keep us in line. Keep us indebted and we are enslaved to the system. I would disagree, but we all have our own opinions. That is what makes us unique. I have said for years (or at least since I finally came to the earth shattering conclusion) that living frugal is the only way to true wealth. Our grandparents did it, our great grandparents did it. Yet they didn't go hungry. We didn't go hungry as children.
 
Granny didn't go to the store for everything. They had a smoke house, a garden, and Granny found a use for everything. Plastic containers became flower pots, old shirts were either  made into quilts or used as rags. Leftovers weren't thrown away, we had soup once a week. We discovered that leftover mashed potatoes made great tasting potato cakes after they were fried. The little slivers of soap could be used yet another week when all mashed together to make one bar.
 
We didn't get tons of toys for Christmas, we had our imaginations and went outside and played. How's that for a novel idea? We actually made forts in the woods and played cowboys and indians. We have become a very materialistic society. We have  people pepper spraying one another for $180 tennis shoes. I have never spent that much on a pair of shoes. I would like to meet and shake the hand of someone who has. What's that old saying about a fool and his money?  
 
Maybe I should quit my day job and become a financial advisor.

Of course that would mean these tough economic times would probably continue because my advice would be to invest in mason jars and bury it in the backyard. My generation can't rely on social security to help us through in our golden years, that will be long gone. So I find myself quoting Granny everyday of my life, "it's not a deal if you don't need it." If we stick to the basic necessities of life, food, shelter, transportation and clothing everything else is a luxury. Then we could gradually add in an old school concept of paying for things in cash.

I like paying in cash, the cashiers look at me sometimes like, "gosh old timer, haven't you ever heard of credit cards?"