A helping of silver

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.

Saint Augustine

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Stacking metals has been a focus for a while now; I know cryptocurrencies may bring greater, more timely rewards and I do that also of course but there's something quite comforting about stacking metals like gold silver and platinum. I blame my life as a pirate all those lifetimes ago - Ah yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. I don't mean one of those Somalian pirates with an AK-47 and a dinghy...Nope, I mean the swashbuckling type that prayed on the Spanish trading ships collecting gold and silver in chests only to be buried on some deserted tropical island. Ah yes, good times...If only I could remember where I buried all those chests of gold, silver and gems.

Phew, I went off on a tangent that time huh?

Anyway, I stack metals and a few years ago someone at my workplace found out about it. Before long I'd established a stacking-group of about seven or eight people and each month we'd all buy some metal; some more and some less but it happened regularly.

I have a metals budget so actively buy with the intention of meeting an annual amount each year; I sat down with each of the members in the group and determined ways they could do the same. Basically we found ways they could change their habits to create the ability to stack some metal.

One of the group decided he would limit his two purchased cups of coffee per day to one, start a spare change jar and bring his lunch from home two to three times a day. Just the coffee's saved him about $105 a month and with the other savings he ended up with enough to purchase almost nine ounces of silver per month. That's one hundred and eight ounces a year, so about $2,600 at today's spot price. A reasonable amount considering he didn't go without all that much to get it. Of course, we weren't purchasing at today's spot price and his silver was all purchased at much less.

We've both since left the company and the stacking-group has disbanded - All of us have left the company in fact but we kept in contact.

This morning I took a call from the fellow I mention above asking for some time to chat; we had a conversation around the fact he needed some money - The reason's I'll not go into. He asked if I'd buy his silver; All three years of it. It was a big ask and I needed to scratch the surface on it a little more; determine what might be going on and we spoke at length.

In the end I decided to help him out at today's spot price which gave him a significant gain on his initial purchases and the ability to see him through the hiccup he faces currently. I collected the silver today and handed over a pile of cash for which he was grateful. I offered to sell it back to him at the same price if, and when, he had the ability and desire for it and he agreed but said he would offer ten percent more than I'd paid as a thank you. We shook on that, had a coffee and moved on.

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I'll be honest, I would have preferred not to spend that money today but after hearing the chap's plight [which affected his daughter] I realised I had the ability to help him out of a tight spot and to make a difference. Besides, I now have a lot more silver in my safe and whilst the price may fluctuate up and down it's trended up over the last twenty years so I don't think I'll lose.

I'm also glad he didn't go to a dealer who would have taken a cut meaning he'd have ended up with much less money for his stack that he's worked so hard to acquire. It wasn't a business decision for me today though, it was a friend decision and to see the relief on his face when he took ownership of that wad of cash was pleasing to see. It felt good to have made a difference.

I don't know where it came from but I feel the need to protect those who cannot do so themselves, to help those who need it and to make a difference to people that deserve it.

I say deserve it because I never reward lack of effort; I'm a reward for effort guy. I'm no saint of course, far from it, but helping others feels right. Sometimes it's emotional support, a shoulder to cry on, a non-judgmental ear, evaluation and strategy processes then affirmative action, mentoring, sometimes financial - You know, just all sorts of things that help a person move forward more confidently. I find it rewarding to help others succeed, to help them do it and be a part of their process. I did so today and got the same feeling as always.

Have you done the same? Are you a helper or been helped by one? Tell me below as I'm always keen to hear a story of positivity, hope and affirmative action.