Actually, this proverb is for all economic times and should have been heeded before we got in this mess, but still…

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth – Prov 13:7

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. – Prov 13:11

The way to read a proverb is not like it is a plain statement of fact, but as wisdom. Read it and reflect on it. The fullness of its meaning may not be obvious on the first pass, you may need to reflect on it and chew on it for a while to get what it means. Ultimately, you need wisdom to understand wisdom but it is available to the foolish if they’ll turn and hear.

So in light of the housing bubble and burst and the current credit crisis, read and reflect.