My husband and I are the opposite of you and your husband, Shaunta. He grew up in South America with 7 siblings and various aunts, uncles and cousins who crashed in his childhood home when they were facing even poorer times than his family was.

I, on the other hand, had a comfortable middle-class childhood. During my previous marriage, we had rough times but never no-food-on-the-table times. Often we relied on credit to get by but we never worried about losing our home.

Financial situations in childhood and young adulthood definitely affect what we value and what we take for granted. My husband reuses everything that he can. Our trash can is the emptiest in our neighborhood! I’ve learned from him to squeeze the usefulness from everyday items — good preparation for when there are two retirees in our home, rather than one.