Money Talks

     There are many Bible passages that have been misquoted over and over again and one Bible misquote I have heard often is: "The love of money is evil." We may say we see the damage the love of money has manifested in the lives of celebrities and everyday people we come into contact within our lives. But I still would like to clear up the misquote and set the record straight. "The love of money is the ROOT of ALL evil" 1 Timothy 6:10.

    With the addition of the word 'root' and 'all' our perception of money should change and we should guard ourselves from the pitfalls that the love of money brings. Many people are in an uproar, not because they are dirt poor, but because they have decreased a level or two in their economic soundness. Anyone who tries to convince you that poverty is fun would probably benefit from some sort of professional counseling. But, when we allow our financial state to determine our amount of joy in life as a whole, then we must look at what defines our happiness.

    While thinking about money and the way we depend upon it and use it, I wondered was there a difference in the way women used money and the way men used money. And the answer is a resounding yes. I found there are 5 top ways each sex uses their money (after taking care of the basic necessities that are common to both sexes such as rent and food) and found the differences a little eye opening.

    MEN: Men don’t spend, they invest. Men don’t want something, they need it. Theirs is a future-money orientation. Men are trained to fix and provide, so they view money as a means to capture and accumulate things to add more value.

    Men will spend their money on investments, entertainment, women/online dating/love, hobbies and sports, and betting and gambling.

    WOMEN: Women are trained to nurture and seek acceptance and so view money as a means to create a lifestyle. Women spend on things that enhance day-to-day living. Theirs is a now-money orientation. Women are the collectors of stuff and are taught that what they need to get through life is approval. They have to look good, act good and be good.

    An average woman will spend 8.5 years of her life shopping. So, you guessed it, shopping tops the list of how and where women spend their money. Next, we have beauty, health and fitness, love/online dating, and furnishings.

    There you have it. Each of the sexes have distinct spending habits to which the marketing masses can target each of the sexes in specific ways. Our purchases are the fruit that are springing forth from the branches of a root. Remember the LOVE of money is the ROOT evidenced and so I ask does our purchases serve as an indicator of our EVIL? For the man would it be the deep need for more and more money and for the woman would it be the purchase of unending beauty?

    With more and more money men become more and more powerful actually buying people's opinion and loyalty; obtaining the perfect trophy wife and trading her in when she no longer fits the bill. Men even become workaholics to the neglect of wife and children. Notice gambling creeps into the bottom of the list; a force of destruction.

    With more money women spend countless thousands for the perfect nose, smile, breast, butt, tummy and the list go on and on what a woman is willing to do to her body surgically to obtain the idea of youthful beauty. When a woman will inject a poison into her face in an effort not to have wrinkles; then you know just how important beauty is to her. Not only is she interested in being beautiful, but she is also interested in being surrounded in beauty. I have never ceased to be amazed at a group of women telling each other how many men they are dating, and which bill the man is paying freeing up money to get her hair and nails done.

    Well, I have not escaped that statistic of 8.5 years of shopping. I have a love of shoes and I have contributed to the millions the make-up industry pulls in yearly. We often want to be equal to men in all things. Do we want the men's top 5 to be ours? Do we want to trade an obsession for beauty with an obsession for status?

    As a group (women) we are saying a lot when we are not even giving a clear voice to a subject. Our spending habits speak for us and I do not know if we are purposefully driving what our voice is saying. As I said, businesses and services follow our spending trends and cater to those statistical needs. Our spending power influences society. Our use of money actually speaks volumes about our heart. We ask everyone to see us as a serious player in the world, but someone who is so focused on looks and overall appearances may not feel capable or worthy if she doesn't look just so. Is the fruit of our root beauty alone?