During my drive into my 9 to 5 today, my mind began to wander because I forgot to live and allowed my job to consume me. The last two months have been rather stressful, and my mind drifted off to a more pleasant, less stressful time; vacation. I began reminiscing about my trip with my sister and nieces to Florida. I didn’t think of everything we did; I thought of the feeling I experienced with them. It was a joy to watch the girls hop from ride to ride. Hearing their laughter flow from their upstairs bedroom as they played with their older cousin filled my heart. The feelings experienced are what make a vacation memorable and much-needed. Then, I made it a habit to enjoy life.
As I stated earlier, these times are stressful, and my heart longs for an escape, so I started perusing the internet for flights and lodging to spend time with my great-nieces. At first, I desired to bring them to my home in New England because their presence would not only lift my spirits but also lift the spirits of others who are also in a stressful time as well, but doing so would extinguish my entire travel budget. I cannot fathom being unable to take another vacation for the rest of the year. So my thoughts turned to going to see them. Let me tell you, EVERYTHING travel related is expensive. Travel is becoming exclusively for those of great means, which saddens my heart. The wonders of travel should be experienced by all and not exclusively by the privileged few.
False Sense of Life Enjoyment
I firmly believe that saving money is extremely important; it is the premise of Broke Budget Girl. Saving money is more than having something set aside in an emergency. Putting money aside is more than setting yourself up for a decent retirement. Saving money is about having options in the future. It is about freeing yourself from the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. It is about being able to seize a financial opportunity when it presents itself. Saving is highly important, but enjoying your present-day life is equally important.
Those not born into a family of wealth or ample means are faced with a conundrum: do I save or adopt a YOLO mentality (You only live once)? Being forced to reconcile the two can be most problematic, at least it is for me. Some tend to live on the extremes; either; they are all in on saving every penny, or they opt to spend every dime. I was on the save-every-penny side of the spectrum in my early years. I didn’t do anything, and I didn’t go anywhere, and as a result of that extremism, I saved a lot of money. However, my social life was found to be seriously wanting. It was just so pitiful.
I was miserable and bored. My life was empty, and I longed for something more. I longed for adventure and to see new things. I wanted to be a part of things and gain exciting experiences. So naturally, or maybe not so naturally, I jumped to the other side of the balance scale… I spent so much that I could not pay off my credit card balances in full each month (have you ever been there?). Looking back, I thought I was experiencing life, or so I thought.
Spending to Feel Fulfilled
I bought shoes (I had over a hundred pairs), bought clothes, traveled, attended wine tastings, and visited vineyards. Every social event that I could attend, I did, and I had a good time doing it all. Each month I dreaded seeing the credit card statement in the mailbox. Lord, it was such a struggle to make myself open that envelope!
My heart began to race every time I pulled the statement out of its envelope. It was nothing short of pure torture. Looking back now, I’m unsure what my issue was when looking at the bill. After all, subconsciously, I knew I had spent with reckless abandon. I guess things hit differently when you see the numbers in black and white.
Watching the Savings Dwindle
After a while, my savings began to dwindle because I was spending more than I made each month. The cold hard reality set in that I could no longer spend with careless ease; it was costing me too much. It was a price that I could not afford to pay.
I went back to saving excessively; I have natural tendencies toward this side of the spectrum, and well, as you probably have surmised, I yet again found myself existing instead of living. Then one day, the heavens opened, and its glorious light shone down on my face; as I looked up towards the sky, a voice said, “Girl, you gotta get balance.” My eureka moment did not occur exactly like that or anywhere near that, but my eureka moment did happen. I needed balance. For some, the extremes work well for them. I know a few individuals who make it work, and if that is you, you should not change a thing, but for me, it didn’t work. I needed to save, but not to the extent that it crippled my present.
Finding Balance to Enjoy Life
Many financial gurus admonish people to get out of debt and set up an emergency fund before even thinking of doing anything remotely connected to fun. That way of living is difficult, especially if you are used to being on the spending side of the spectrum. I believe it robs you of now moments. Believe it or not, now moments are just as important as your future savings. Now moments are what create memories. They will be what you reflect on in your older age as you sit in your rocking chair gazing at the beauty in front of you. If memories are not created, how can they be remembered with fondness?
The answer for most is to live a financial life of balance. Save for a better tomorrow and spend to enjoy the preciousness of now. My nieces won’t be at this age for long, so I want to savor every moment and create beautiful memories that will last me and them a lifetime. It will be at the expense of saving for my future, but then again, they are my future and more than worth the investment.
Are you looking to create balance in your finances? Check out this article of quotes to keep you motivated to continue enjoy life
See how I balance my saving/spend life and enjoyed one of the best all-you-can-eat places in New England.