Yesterday I was listening to a female financial expert say a woman should always have her own money. Many happily married women called and said their systems of joint checking had worked out and they were happy with it. The financial expert said that she liked a $60 creme, but her husband thought $5 moisturizer was fine for everything.

I submit her problem was not about money. If you're struggling to put ground beef on the table and buy $60 moisturizer, you have issues. If you have several bestselling books on money and have to justify that creme, your problem is not money.

Watching "THe Real Housewives of NYC" my favorite character, Jill Zarin's mother came to summer at their Hampton's house. I love this mother. She's a Jewish matriarch full of wisdom and unending love for her family. When she came, the car they picked her up in was a big SUV and it was hard on her fragile body. Jill's husband walked her to the collection of six cars they had. The mother's husband knew none of them would work. So he and his son-in-law went to rent a car.

When Jill's mother sat in the rented Lincoln, she beamed. And the two men were thrilled as if they had slayed a dragon. They were heros and it had nothing to do with money. They didn't tell her she could just ride in one of the cars they had. They expressed their love and respect to her. And it didn't look like they were hurting any financially.

So what is it with the stingy spirit do you think? Why do some people protect their money at the expense of people? I've actually heard people call it a Depression mentality. But what Depression? You're not old enough to remember it, and the guy who can, rented his wife an expensive car for her comfort! So what's the real excuse?

Charity starts at home in my opinion. If your husband tells you that you're only worth the $5 creme, he may get ground beef instead of steak.

Labels: generous spirit, Housewives of NYC, Jill Zarin, stingy