"I would often pass by a young man sitting in a lawn chair drinking lemonade and reading novels," he wrote. "I couldn't figure out why I had to work so hard and he could afford the life of leisure. Years later, after graduating, I found out: He had accumulated over $50,000 in student loans during the pursuit of his exercise- and sports-science degree. After graduation, he found himself qualified to work for a local rental-car company for $10 an hour. I stopped feeling sorry for myself when I learned that.... Working all those nights seemed worth it."

Another commenter agreed but pointed out that sometimes, those "leisure people" are successful.

"I had roommates whose parents paid EVERY expense of theirs. All they had to buy was clothing (and did they ever!)," she wrote. "I worked very hard in college, and I'm now seeing it pay off. However, the girls I lived with are also doing very well.... It wasn't fair. It's still not. I have student loans and they don't, because their parents paid their tuition.

"The hard part is not feeling sorry for yourself when you don't get your 'Little Red Hen' moment of vindication. Often, lazy people still get rewarded — sometimes more than us hard workers. Life is ironic and unfair. Learning that it's OK for life to be unfair is the obstacle for me, and I'm sure for others, too."

As I've written before, and as our first e-mailer wrote, it's all about being satisfied and happy with the life you're making for yourself. Hopefully, that life will include wise financial decisions that will allow you to meet your real needs now and in the future.

If you have a comment on this topic, or a question, send it to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com