Three neighbors on Bay StreetNia, Obi and Pax of Bay Street each earned ten coins a month. Means are the coins that come in, ten a month for each. Nia spent eight a month, Obi spent ten and Pax spent twelve. Where did Pax's extra two coins come from? He borrowed them from a cousin and owed them back. Month by month Nia saved two, Obi saved nothing and Pax owed two more. After six months Nia had twelve, Obi had nothing and Pax owed twelve. The gap is the space between what comes in and what goes out. Nia's gap was two, and Pax's went the other way, but nobody is bad. A gap can pay for a surprise, a goal or a later jar. One stormy night a tap broke and the repair cost four coins. Nia paid from her jar, Obi had none and asked for help, and Pax owed more. In a year Nia's gap made twenty-four coins, enough for six broken taps, and a cushion makes a surprise a bump, not a fall. Then everyone got a raise to twelve. Obi spent all twelve, but Nia kept spending eight, so her gap grew to four. Living below your means is not being stingy: Nia still enjoyed treats, because she chose what mattered most to her.