Old wisdom in a new economy

There is very little explicit incentive in this country to save money. What used to be a nation of savers, one that embraced a so-called Protestant ethic of saving for later, is now a nation that is encouraged to accept balance transfer offers, new lines of credit and minimum monthly payments. I grew up in a household that generally rejected the new American way of spending, which is not always easy in an environment where most people do not have financial scruples. And I am not always the most restrained spender. But I have picked up a few good financial practices that might be helpful to others and that I will try to share periodically here.