No, I don't want to eat out today, I know how to cook and I would rather save my money.
No, I don't need any new clothes right now, I can make due with what I have.
No, I don't need hire a mechanic to change my oil: I have the time to do it myself.
'Well, what do you want to spend your money on? What are you waiting for?'
The answer often is, I often don't know exactly what, but I know that I want the option:
To leave a bad job.
To follow a passion.
To invest in a loved one.
To make a timely investment.
...
Put a premium on optionality. Don't discount your future needs. Money is not an end in and of itself: it's a mean towards choice, and self determination. And when you're sure you're ready to exercise that choice, you'll be able to.
This is the reward of the pressure that we put on ourselves everyday: though everyone else may be slowly falling into a life that may not necessarily want, we are actively resisting that drift. Our daily dose of frugal is hard, and those around us may not understand, but this is our way of taking control of our lives.
One day at a time...
May 06, 2019 at 09:53PM
