I need some good inspiration to write anything of significance. Today my inspiration comes from this article I read yesterday on yahoo finance called "6 Little Things that Cost a Lot". It is a great reminder of how meaningless purchases satisfy short-term but leave you, or your bank account, feeling empty in the long run.
I particularly liked reading this article because I have recently taken up the art of saving up for something I really want. I no longer buy coffee at work unless I have an unbearable headache and I am bringing my poor-excuse-for-a-lunch to work so I can avoid spending $16 on a salad from Red Robin. All of those little purchases really do add up, and I am proud to announce that I have saved an additional $200 a month from scrimping on stuff I really don't want and/or need. Every time I think about buying something I think "Would I rather have this or would I rather be able to retire early?" There are very few things that I want more than retiring early, so the answer is almost always NO.
Saving your money on the meaningless things of your daily routine make it so much more worth it when you let loose just a bit and buy a coffee with your friends. So what is your guilty pleasure? Is there something you could cut out each day and your life would not be significantly impacted by it, but your long-term investments would be? The point is that satisfaction does not come from a tall cup of over priced coffee. It comes from meeting your goals, whether they be financial in nature or not.
That's a good article! I limit myself to only buying coffee on Fridays (b/c I have to leave for work at 6:00 am that day!) and with friends.
ReplyDeleteWhat we've done for years is give ourselves "allowance" so that we know ahead of time how much spending money we have for pop-up lunches at work or miscellaneous expenses. And when ya run out of allowance, you're done until the next month!