Getting your finances in order is a great feeling. From making more money, cutting out non-essential costs, getting great credit card bonuses, paying down your debt and seeing your investments grow, there are so many things you can do to improve your financial situation. And it feels really good when you do. The process itself can become fun, so you constantly look for more and more ways to get ahead financially. This is all great. Your life is MUCH better when your finances look good and the money is rolling in as opposed to when it’s not.
Yet, there are so many people around the world who have trouble keeping up and can’t even get food on the table consistently. This is a terrible situation to be in and those of us who aren’t in this predicament should be counting our blessings. Because of this we should also be looking at the big picture and figure out WHY we’re trying to save so much money. It is very important to look at your income and find ways to increase it. It’s very important to look at your expenses and debt and try to decrease it. But it’s also important not to get lost in the sea of numbers and calculations.
Why is this important? Because money is simply a means to and end. And that end is whatever we define it to be. Some people want to be able to give their kids a great life. Some people love the experience of traveling. Some people have hobbies and sports that they love. And some people just want to take it easy at the end of their lives. Whatever is most important to you, it is vital to keep that in mind. Many people, especially young people in debt or trying to build wealth, constantly have their foot on the accelerator trying to find ways to make money and make it grow. But over time, it’s easy to lose sight of what we really need the money for and get caught up in the process. Find a way to remind yourself of your “end” point, whether it be traveling or just chilling. As the analogy goes, don’t lose sight of the forest when you’re amongst the trees.
Coincidentally enough, a personal finance lesson can be had from these philosophical musings: automate your finances as much as possible. Find what your goals are, how much you have to save/contribute to get there, and just automate it. It’s so easy to do that with today’s technology so there is no excuse not to. Automate your checking, savings, bill payments, credit card payments and investments. Adjust along the way as needed. It’s that simple. This will allow you to take a step back once in a while and remind yourself of the real reasons you’re trying to get wealthy.
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