Since this is Thanksgiving week, I thought I'd share something for which I'm Thankful, especially as it pertains to personal finance.

I am thankful for the example set for me by my paternal grandparents.

My grandparents died about six years ago, about 16 months apart. Grandpa was about 5 weeks short of his 90th birthday, and Grandma was less than a week short of hers.

They were both children of the Great Depression. They were also both raised on a farm. Many of the stories I heard from them were related to the depression. And, being farm kids, what they always said was that they may not have had any money, but they never went to bed hungry. They ate a lot of pork and corn bread, but were never hungry.

I grew up about a quarter mile from their home (I now live in their home). And, I heard a lot of stories. OK, most of the stories were from Grandpa, Grandma was much quieter. But, their words and actions did a lot to shape me and my thinking.

I wish I would have done more reflection on their teachings when I was in my 20s and 30s. But, alas, with age (and mistakes) comes wisdom. And, I'm not there even yet.

They lived like absolute paupers. But, when they died, their net worth was somewhere in the neighborhood of 800-900K. Not millionaires, but close. They owned the 200 acre family farm, two houses (the farm house and my grandmother's family house in town), and (as I found out after their deaths) about 200K in the bank.

I'll also add that neither one of them spent an extended period in a nursing home. Grandpa was in a home for about 3-4 months prior to his death, and my aunt stayed with my grandma during her short final illness. Extended stays in nursing homes can eat up savings very quickly.

My maternal grandparents were also a good example for me. They didn't live quite as close to me as a child, so their influence on me wasn't quite as profound.

I am thankful for the foundation that all of my grandparents built for me, and I can only hope that I am doing them proud as I try to figure out what being an adult is all about.