This is the third in a series of articles that deal with our relationship with money. (You can read the other ones here). Most of this is based on the work of Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money.
Morgan says that what many people really want from money is the ability to stop thinking about it. They want to have enough money so that they can stop thinking about it and focus on other stuff.
He goes on to say, “But that ultimate goal can break down when your relationship with money becomes an ingrained part of your personality. You struggle to break away from focusing on money because the focus itself is a big part of who you are.”
This comes into focus for me when I check the posted prices at the gas station and I look for the best price. The reality is that it doesn’t matter what it is.
Whether it’s $3 per gallon or $5 per gallon I can afford it easily. And it’s paid for it from our apartment building income and it is tax deductible.
Due to having gone broke three times by the time I was 50, I cannot break the practice of being careful about how I spend my money.
If you’ve developed a process of living below your income and saving money, you deserve congratulations. You might also find that you cannot stop being careful, tracking your spending, and continuing to save well beyond the time you need to do that.
Do you still deserve congratulations if you cannot stop that habit and in your retirement years, what I call the time you Create Complete Financial Choice®? Isn’t that the time to start spending your assets?
Our travel agent said it so well, “If you don’t fly first class while you’re alive, your children will be flying first class after you die.”
Who should be enjoying our money more, my wife and I, or our children?
As a Certified Financial Planner®, I’ve seen the biggest challenge was getting clients to spend money in retirement; even appropriate amounts of money.
I understand this personally. Frugality and savings become became such a big part of how I operated that I can’t easily switch gears.
For some people, that’s actually fine. For me I also think it’s okay. Watching our money compound gives us as much pleasure as spending it.
Are you willing to recognize you’ve reached your goal, or do you keep moving it up? Will your assets support your standard of living with no more accumulation?
To Your Prosperity,
Rennie
