My parents weren't perfect, but they did a pretty dang good job of raising four responsible, well-educated children. They did the best with what they had to work with, which included their educations, their pasts, their philosophies,their priorities, and their finances. They were young people just getting started in adult life when the Great Depression hit, so they were skilled at re-using and making do with what they had. I am grateful to have learned some of those skills from them.