At the risk of pigeon holing, my question for you is this: are you the disciplined type, or are you the free-spirited type?
Me? I’m somewhere in the middle, but I probably err on the side of discipline. I believe in structure, and I am usually pretty okay with saying no to things that aren’t the best option. Case in point: I know I don’t need to spend money on eating lunch out more than about once a week, so I bring my lunch almost daily, even if that means I eat the same meal two days in a row. Do I like eating the same meal two days in a row? No. Do I wish I was eating Moe’s instead? Um, yeah. But for the sake of the family budget, I choose the less desirable in the short-term for the long-term benefit of meeting our financial goals. Hard now, easy later.
The free spirits out there might think this mentality is binding and the antithesis of “living”. I think it’s the opposite. The freedom from financial stress that I feel most of the time tastes a lot better than Moe’s. Or a new pair of shoes. Or the vacation I really wish I was taking this year. That reduced stress pours into the rest of my life, especially in my marriage, and it enables my family to be givers when an opportunity arises. Of course, this doesn’t mean that spending money on unnecessary things is wrong…but only after I am confidant that I have the money to pay my expenses and have money to save.
This sounds a lot like knowing the difference between needs and wants, doesn’t it?
