What is money? Have you ever really sat down and thought about it?
It’s how you get all the stuff you need, right?
So, really, is that all that money is? The stuff you spend it on?
It seems that when you are young, money is primarily about getting. You use it to get the things you need, the things you want and probably a few things you really shouldn’t buy. You want to get a house and nice things to fill it up, you want to get a new car, you want to “get ahead”, you want a big wedding or to “get away” on trips.
Later on, as you get older, getting slowly turns into keeping. You want to keep the house in good repair, you want to keep the household running and maybe you even want to keep up appearances. You might be trying to keep up with the “Joneses”. If you did a little too much getting in your early years, maybe you need to keep up with payments, or worse, keep the wolf away from the door.
Still later, you look around and wonder how to get rid of some, or most, of your stuff. You want to get rid of your debt, perhaps even your mortgage, so you can sleep soundly at night. You hope to simplify your finances to get rid of the stress that can surround a complicated financial life.
When did money become all about stuff? If you look at your life over the long term, doesn’t it seem like you could solve a lot of problems by buying less “stuff” to begin with? What if you stopped thinking of your money as “stuff”? What if you used it to build the life you really want?
So stop. Young or old, financially savvy or not, take some time this year to think about how you are spending your money. Are you spending in a way that is in keeping with your values? If you make a list of all the things that really make you happy every day, did any of your stuff make the list? Or is your list primarily things like family, friends, staying healthy, spending time with a significant other, getting out into nature with your kids? Open your bank statement and really look at where your money went last year. How much of it went to the things you say are important to you? Did it go towards things you will keep and treasure when you are older? Did it go towards experiences that are irreplaceable in your memory banks?
It’s time to make sure you are spending your money in ways that will have lasting meaning. Create a budget, plan where you will spend your money before it comes in and be sure you can afford the life you are living. If you can’t, make the necessary changes now. Stop confusing money with the stuff it can buy and start thinking of it in terms of the life it can build.
Once you figure out the difference between money and stuff, life becomes a whole lot sweeter.
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