Saving and Spending
Want to save money? Stop spending it! At first, this might sound like ludicrous advice; it seems so obvious. However, how many of us spend time thinking about defining our needs versus our desires, when it comes to our expenditures? How many of us are aware, on a day to day basis, of what we truly want as opposed to ideas that are put in our head by savvy marketers? How many of us make purchases only because we need something or truly believe it will bring us happiness? How many of us buy things so that we “look good” in someone else’s eyes?
I am not here to tell you what you need. I am not here to tell you what should or should not make you happy. However, when it comes to saving money and building personal wealth, I do suggest that all of us might want to ask ourselves the aforementioned questions, so that we can get a better grip on what our needs and desires truly are.
I realize that many people get by on so little money that it seems close to absurd going through this questioning exercise. Yet, it is interesting that when we become more connected with our spending habits, at any budgetary level, we are bound to find waste and unneeded expenditures. Imagine if we saved that money.
Saving money in the pursuit of building some level of personal wealth is important. We never know when something unexpected might take place. Additionally, what of our long term dreams and goals? Don’t we need some money, realistically speaking, to make them come to fruition?
I do not pretend to know what is right for you. I do suggest, however, that you spend some time finding out what is right for you. Sometimes, we are so busy living life that it seems we forget to reflect on the nature of our lives, what is important and what is not, what is a need and what is a desire and what truly brings us happiness.
Perhaps, if we take some time to reflect, we can find ways to spend less and save more. In the long run, we might just find it was worth the effort.
Image courtesy of [Greenleaf Designs] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
*Authors note: You might see this column pop up online in a newspaper, under the name Both Sides. I am publishing this column here first at CYInterview.com. For a bunch of years, I have been writing newspaper columns. Since my columns have received a good response on CYInterview, I thought I would share it with you. Hope you enjoy.
You can reach me with your questions and comments at Jay@CYinterview.com Like today’s column? Check back frequently.