No, this is not another edition in the series of Halloween excitement here at Froodee. However, this article can be scary if you find yourself counting the last few pennies in your pocket. It was way back in elementary when I first heard her story. My uncle had given me a collection of Aesop’s Fables and one of the stories that struck me was the tale of “The Milkmaid and Her Pail.” Of course, back then, I was more fascinated with the illustrations rather than the story itself.
If you haven’t read the story, drop by here for a while and indulge yourself in a short fable.
However, for those who know what story I’m talking about, let me continue.
I often find the milkmaid emerging in me. In the story, she dreams about what she could have in exchange for her pail of milk. She thought of buying eggs. Said eggs would eventually grow into healthy, young chicks which would consequently become fat chickens and so on and so forth…
While there is nothing wrong with day dreaming, the milkmaid became too lost in her own fantasies that she accidentally dropped the pail of milk and with it spilled all of her dreams… My own version of the milkmaid often makes herself known when I am dealing with money.
I find myself unconsciously spending more than what I really should because at the back of my mind, I know I’ll receive more soon. Unfortunately, soon is not enough and I often end up having only a few bills left in my pocket. I don’t even get to save anything anymore. I also fantasize a lot about the material things I could gain and I get too involved with these thoughts that the word “budget” doesn’t even exist in my vocabulary anymore.
A lot of people don’t even realize the milkmaid in themselves. As for me, I am much more careful with my money now. According the the milkmaid fable, “Don’t count your chickens until they are hatched.” In my case, “Don’t spend your money until they are actually in your hands.”