Plant a money tree
As the old saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees. But it can grow LIKE a tree.
The wildflowers are in bloom, the desert is green, and spring is definitely here. We bought a jacaranda tree last weekend, and had it planted this week. Here’s what it looks like:
“It’s so tiny,” said my husband.
“It looks so scrawny,” said my son.
“Sniff sniff sniff,” said our dog.
“Isn’t it beautiful?!” said me. “I’m so happy about it.”
Why the difference in our points of view? Well, I see that the tree is already six feet tall. I see a nice straight trunk. I see resilient little leaves, blowing cheerfully in the wind. I see the stakes, supporting it. I saw the men dig a deep hole for its root ball. I know it has fertilizer, mulch, and something to make the soil less alkaline so that the roots can go down deep. And most importantly, in my head I see what it will be when it grows up:
(Photo of full-grown jacaranda tree by Kahuroa.)
Isn’t it beautiful?!
Of course, it’s not going to get that way overnight. But with a little luck and a lot of work, it WILL get that way.
I intend to water it regularly and deeply, every single week, because I have it in my calendar. I’ll have to fertilize it, check it for pests, wrap it in burlap when freezes are predicted, and find someone to care for it if we go out of town.
Growing your money is very much like planting a sapling. You can view a little bit of money as being like a stick with a few leaves, or you can look down the road and see what those dollars can become if you tend them carefully.
How does this work? Your emergency fund is like the stakes that support the young tree. Learning about your money is like the fertilizer. Regular savings and investments are like the water that you give it so it will grow. Checking for pests is like making sure you understand the terms and conditions of any financial documents you sign. Allowing the roots to go down deep is like building a firm foundation for your finances. Insurance is like wrapping it in burlap to protect it from disasters. And the picture of the full-grown tree in bloom is your goal.
Keep that picture in your head, and take the necessary steps to reach it, and you’ll have planted a money tree.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Good luck with your new tree. I’m sure it will be beautiful.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
That’s a great analogy, and good luck with the gorgeous tree! Having the understanding that the future will come, faith that if you steadily tend to something it will grow, and knowledge to make it happen–those are all important things. As a parent and as someone who dabbles in gardening, not to mention as a middle-aged person, all that is finally sinking in. Hope it’s not too late…
March 7th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I love trees and gardening! I have a nicely growing jacaranda in my backyard. In fact, I had two, with one in the front, the other in the back. The one in the front failed to take off and we had to cart it off and replace it with an Elm, which is doing so much better. But the jacaranda in the back was just a humble little stick 4 years ago as well. Today it is mid-sized, blooming heavily and absolutely GORGEOUS! If it takes, you will definitely be very happy with what you got! :) It was cheap too, but as it grows, becomes priceless.
I so love plants.
March 28th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I don t have space in my balcony for a Jacaranda, but I have a good friend who has enough space for one, so I just bought a pack ok jacaranda s seeds hoping to make one of those seeds grow into a nice tree. Is a shame I wont enjoy it, but my joy is that my friend will.