What happens when you go out and buy a new car? You have this beautiful thing that is your identity. You drive a blankblank. Your blankblank is the newest and coolest on the block. You wash it more than your old car, you inspect it for scratches whenever you approach it and you do your best to keep it out of harms way. No parking next to other cars or leaving it on the street for some neighborhood kids to hit with a ball or a hockey stick.
Your blankblank is your friend. You caress it and love it like you would a pet, or maybe even a spouse. Not only did you spend a whole whack of cash on your blankblank, you are also paying higher insurance premiums and spending more of your free time taking care of your little blankblank. Even when you are in your office or at home in bed you worry if your blankblank is safe and protected. Blankblank is costing you money and time.
Your car, your house, your clothes, your toys; are all costing you time and money. Consider the fact that billions of people live on less than you spend on a non-fat, tall, double latte each and everyday. Huge numbers of people can survive on a few dollars a day all over the globe. Certainly you can do with a little less. There are many ways to simplify: maybe downsize your house, drive your old car for a few more years, cycle to work so your family doesn’t need two cars, or don’t buy that fourth television.
If you want to live like the Jet Set without being rich, learn to simplify your life. Buy less things and experience life more. Bigger houses, faster cars and more toys are for rat race slaves that always manage to spend beyond their incomes. It is possible to travel the world and do the things you really love doing if you are willing to purchase less. There are basically two ways to put more money into your pocket; earn more or spend less. Earning more is important, you certainly want to work smarter and make more money. However, spending less is immediate and often easier than earning more. Saving $100 is worth more than earning an extra $100. Any extra money you make will be taxed so your take home amount maybe only $80 or even less if you are in a high income tax bracket. $100 in savings is $100 extra in your bank account.
Why should you save and sacrifice? We are all entitled to the good life, right? Perhaps. It is certainly your right to consume, but at the end of the day do you want to be known as a shopper or as someone who lived life? The time and money you spend on goods and unnecessary services would go along way to funding your dreams and creating something that will make a lasting impact on your life. Not having enough money is not a particularly convincing excuse in this day and age. Anything is possible for anyone. It is not only the money your are sacrificing, all possessions require real and mental maintenance. The biggest cost of your possessions may very well the brain power you expend shopping for things, caring for things, and worrying about things. How much of your life is spent thinking about your possessions? Probably, too much.
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