Teach me to practice economy in my expenses

Thou dost give me so much and thou dost ask so little of me, O Bountiful Lord. Thou dost gratify my slightest wish. I pray for that which my heart seeks and, out of thy boundless generosity, thou dost give it to me. So free and bounteous art thou with thy gifts. Thou, Ahura Mazda, hast commanded in thy wisdom that I should make a temperate use of the good things of life, but never should waste the smallest thing, even so much as the weight of the thread that a maid lets fall in spinning. Thus thou hast further explained.

Teach me, Ahura Mazda, to practice economy in my household expenses. Economy and thrift and frugality leave something behind, which is my family's potential wealth. Frugality keeps me far from indebtedness and brings me independence. It is a provision against unforeseen contingencies. Let me be industrious both in earning and in economy. Let my thrift keep pace with my earning. Difficult it is to make money, but easy by far to spend it. To every one source of income, there are twice two and more of expenditure.

Let me live upon what little I have. Let not ostentation infatuate me to live above my circumstances and beyond my means.

Let my expenditure be ordered and regulated, well-planned and well-proportioned. Teach me the art of making one silver piece do the work of two. Let me ever be cautious to see that my expenditure exceeds not my income. Let me contract and curtail my expenses. Let me not spend all that I earn. Teach me to spend wisely and well, and less than I earn. Let me make money with the diligence of both hands free, but let me always spend with the tightened fist of just one hand alone.

Teach me the habit of saving. Let me save something from what little I have, for saving itself is an income. Let me daily spare and save a little pile of my money, that of itself it may make up a large one in the end. Let me not waste, that I may not want. It is wisdom to rave, when it is folly to waste. Let more of Ashi Vanghuhi's wealth enter my abode at the rising dawn than what leaves it at the closing day, Ahura Mazda.

This page was last updated on Friday, February 11, 2005.