David Jetmore on Money
May 26, 2026
In this episode, David reflects on how his early experiences with money shaped the way he understands security, work, and self reliance. Through stories from his childhood and adult life, he considers the habits that endure long after circumstances change: the instinct to repair rather than replace, to save rather than spend, and to measure wealth not by excess but by having all your needs met. Together, we explore the meaning of “enough,” the habits formed by hardship, and the complicated relationship between success, self-worth, and the fear of going without.
“I read somewhere that when people paid off their mortgage, they’d burn the mortgage and drive a silver dollar into the base of the banister. So I took a Morgan silver dollar, drilled a little hole in it, and drove a square-headed nail through that silver dollar into that banister post. I think when I paid off the house and had the farm here, that’s when I felt like I had enough. I had money, a garden, woods, a river flowing through the property. I could fish, I could hunt. I thought, ‘Yeah… I’ve got enough.’” (David, 15:41)
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David Jetmore is a retired physician and one of the founding members of Richmond Neighborhood Restoration in Indiana. He has had a lifelong interest in historic preservation and has personally restored several historic Richmond properties as well as the 220-year-old farmhouse where he lives with his wife, Cheri.
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