The Magnolia Story

by Chip Gaines

One thing my dad would preach to us when it came to money was, “I’ll provide your needs, but you have to take care of your wants.” So once I was old enough, if I told my parents I wanted some new toy or gadget, they’d say, “Well, great. There’s this lawn two doors down that we keep driving by and noticing that it needs to be mowed. What if you went and knocked on that guy’s door and asked him if you could mow it. How much is this thing you’re looking for?” “Well, it’s twelve bucks.” “Okay. Well, if you offered to mow it for five, it would only take you two or three weeks, and you could have it!” They never said no or “quit asking.” They just said, “If you want that thing, here’s an idea as to how you can go earn it.” There were times when I chose to be the lazy kid and wouldn’t bother. And there were other times when I decided I really wanted something, so I’d grab the lawn mower and head down the street, knocking on doors.

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