The amount daily spent in needless things, with the thought, “It is only a nickel,” “It is only a dime,” seems very little; but multiply these littles by the days of the year, and as the years go by, the array of figures will seem almost incredible. (AH 384.1) MC VC

Do Not Emulate Fashionable Neighbors—It is not best to pretend to be rich, or anything above what we are—humble followers of the meek and lowly Saviour. We are not to feel disturbed if our neighbors build and furnish their houses in a manner that we are not authorized to follow. How must Jesus look upon our selfish provision for the indulgence of appetite, to please our guests, or to gratify our own inclination! It is a snare to us to aim at making a display or to allow our children, under our control, to do so. (AH 384.2) MC VC

Personal Experience in Mrs. White’s Girlhood—When I was only twelve years old, I knew what it was to economize. With my sister I learned a trade, and although we would earn only twenty-five cents a day, from this sum we were able to save a little to give to missions. We saved little by little until we had thirty dollars. Then when the message of the Lord’s soon coming came to us, with a call for men and means, we felt it a privilege to hand over the thirty dollars to father, asking him to invest it in tracts and pamphlets to send the message to those who were in darkness.... (AH 384.3) MC VC

With the money that we had earned at our trade, my sister and I provided ourselves with clothes. We would hand our money to mother, saying, “Buy so that, after we have paid for our clothing, there will be something left to give for missionary work.” And she would do this, thus encouraging in us a missionary spirit. (AH 384.4) MC VC