David Copperfield’s Secret of Happiness

Frank Perdue was a big believer in the David Copperfield Secret of Happiness.

(By the way, we’re not talking about my favorite magician; we’re talking about the book by Charles Dickens.) A character in the novel David Copperfield proclaimed: spend less than your income and you’ll be happy. Spend more, and you’ll be miserable.

Frank Perdue lived that happiness secret because he was to the core a frugal man, and he always lived astonishingly below his income. Our home, for example, was a comfortable ranch house with neighbors that included retired teachers and a guy who ran a grain elevator. Trust me, millionaire’s row it was not.

I have a favorite memory of this. One day in the late 1990s, Owen Schweers, the Perdue Director of Packaging, was to bring an important businessman to meet Frank at our Salisbury home. As Schweers pulled up beside our house, his VIP passenger started laughing heartily.

“Okay, that’s a good one!” he chortled. “But you’re not going to get me on this. I know Frank Perdue wouldn’t live in that little ranch house!”

Schweers stopped his car near our front door. “No,” Schweers insisted, “this is Frank’s house.”

“Sure, right,” said the VIP, still guffawing.

Suddenly his laughter stopped because there was Frank, opening the door and then stepping outside to greet his guests. “Oh my God,” whispered the VIP to Schweers, “Frank really does live here!”

Living in an unpretentious house was typical of Frank. He had no interest in a McMansion, and the fact is, most status symbols left him cold.

As an example, when we travelled, which we did a lot while visiting overseas buyers, we could have used a chauffeur-driven limousine in whatever city we were in. Instead Frank made it a point to use the local subways.

This happened whether it was New York, London, Moscow, Tokyo, or Beijing. He preferred being with average people, that is, people who use public transportation. His ego didn’t require a limousine.

Once in 1995, we spent six weeks driving form Maryland to California and back Where did he, the head of Perdue Farms, and I, a Sheraton heiress stay? Motel 6, every night. We did it because this chain was clean, always friendly, and the check-in procedures were wonderfully rapid.

Frank continuously encouraged his kids in this kind of thinking. As he told his children in one of the family newsletters in which he was encouraging them to live below their means: “It’s not fun to be worried about whether you can pay your bills.”

Frank was frugal, and the money he didn’t spend generally went to philanthropy. He felt a deeper and more lasting pleasure supporting, for instance, United Way, than spending money on himself. He really did live the David Copperfield message of spending less than his income.

Could avoiding status-type spending add to your happiness? Would the David Copperfield approach be right for you?

Search Articles

Latest Articles

Advice for Working with a Columnist 

To summarize, unless I’ve told you otherwise in the cover letter, best practices include: answer in a timely way, make factual corrections but don’t re-write, and in most cases, it’s best not to add material.  However, I’ll value our collaboration whether you follow this advice or not! 

read more

Subscribe to Updates

About Author

Mitzi Perdue is the widow of the poultry magnate, Frank Perdue.  She’s the author of How To Make Your Family Business Last and 52 Tips to Combat Human Trafficking.  Contact her at www.MitziPerdue.com

All Articles

Leadership Insights: What Made the Sheraton Hotels Grow

Leadership Insights: What Made the Sheraton Hotels Grow

Leadership Insights: What Made the Sheraton Hotels Grow WHAT MADE THE SHERATON HOTELS GROW My father, Ernest Henderson, built the Sheraton hotels from one hotel to more than 400 during his lifetime. I’d often ask him the secrets of how he did it. One of his answers...

read more
Preserve Your Values: Create an Ethical Will

Preserve Your Values: Create an Ethical Will

Preserve Your Values: Create an Ethical Will Much as I admired Frank Perdue for his success with his family poultry business, I admired him even more for his success as a family man. Since the happiness of the families you advise will depend at least as much on the...

read more
Ask About Low Sexual Desire: There Are Options!

Ask About Low Sexual Desire: There Are Options!

Ask About Low Sexual Desire: There Are Options!LOW SEXUAL DESIRE MAY OR MAY NOT BE TROUBLESOME Almost 43% of women have low sexual desire. However, unless the condition is causing a woman personal or relationship distress, low sexual desire doesn’t rise to the level...

read more
Salisbury Substance Abuse Community Center

Salisbury Substance Abuse Community Center

Salisbury Substance Abuse Community Center The man who built the sliding partition If you ever visit the Salisbury Substance Abuse Community Center (SSACC), notice the sliding partition that, when pulled shut, cuts the main hall in half. The carpentry is nicely done....

read more
Big Brothers / Big Sisters

Big Brothers / Big Sisters

Big Brothers / Big SistersAs someone who isn’t that far from middle age, Diane Zielinski didn’t expect to attend pro wrestling matches or monster truck rallies. And what she really didn’t expect was to find that she would enjoy them. How did this happen to her? What’s...

read more
Red Cross

Red Cross

Red CrossImagine something really, really terrible. It’s 3:00 a.m. and your house has just burned down. You and the family just escaped with your lives. However, your wallet, your ID, your day time clothes, your glasses, even the medications you need are smoldering...

read more