Becoming "Provident Providers"

Here is the latest "Mormon Message"

Becoming Provident Providers

I remember hearing this at General Conference and really liked the message. In his message he mentions that one of the sweetest things to say is "we can't afford it." While I appreciate and understand his intent, I would like to propose a more useful phrase (in my opinion). "We can't afford it" has a negative ring to it and I prefer to say "we choose to spend our money differently." When saying you "can't afford it," it gives the connotation that not having enough money is a bad thing, while assuming that if you DID have enough money, you would buy it. I personally don't like either of those assumptions. Not having "enough" money is nothing to be ashamed of (what is "enough," anyway??) and even if I were wealthy, my children certainly do not need every new toy they ask for. Back when we were making just a few dollars over minimum wage we "chose" to buy food with our money because if we had spent it on something besides bills and food we would have gone hungry. Now, we "choose" to spend our money on building our savings account and food storage because that is more important to us than new furniture. So although I'm sure my family has heard me say "we can't afford it" too many times to count, I am trying to change my thinking and my family's thinking by saying "we are choosing to spend our money on something else."