But as the day continued, Donna found that this sudden distribution of wealth wasn't spreading happiness at all. She turned on the television to get the news, but everyone at the network had quit. Neither was there a morning paper. The only result of more money was that everything cost more, and there was less to buy. It wasn't real wealth at all, for the riches had taken away people's desire to produce.
Money is real only if it reflects the harvest of our efforts.
Since ancient times, people have known that smart money management begins with saving for the future. In nomadic gathering tribes, there was no way to store the value of their labors. But as agriculture developed and people established permanent settlements, they began to store goods and trade them. At first, their monetary system used commodities, primarily grains and cattle, which could be traded or consumed. Since this primitive form of saving and investing began, building capital has been important for economic prosperity and growth.