I’ve caught myself thinking something satisfying lately every time I see someone older than me with something I badly desire (paid off house, killer career, the life of retirement). And that is:
“I’d rather be young”
It’s kinda mean, but I can’t tell you how much it pipes down my jealousy! We’re all gonna get old at some point, of course – no way around that – but this new (internal) saying is an important reminder to just stop freaking trying to SPEED UP TIME SO MUCH to accomplish our goals!
Why are we always in such a rush to get to that next level? Why do we have to hurry across that finish line, only to start a new race shortly after? Why can’t we just be happy with what we have??
We talk a lot about the power of time and how compound interest/savings/investing does wonders to our money – and rightfully so – but it’s easy to get caught up wishing for the future to come faster and forget to appreciate what we have here and now – TIME. And, well, a heart beat.
(I should also point out I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately on billionaires who have since departed this great Earth of ours, and that no matter how much money you have you’d gladly trade it in for more years to live. Hell, this goes for living billionaires too – how many times have you wished you were Warren Buffett? Having gobs of money would be amazing, but what if it meant you were now 84?)
Tell me if this looks familiar:
- In 5 more years I’ll be out of debt – I can’t wait!
- Oh my gosh, only 13 more years to go until the whole house is paid off!
- 30 more years until I can finally retire, I wish it were already here!!
All amazing milestones, but here’s the thing.
- When our debt is gone we’ll be 5 years older
- When our house is paid off we’ll be 13 years older
- And when we’re finally retired and living “the good life” we’ll be (*gasp*) 30 years older!
And guess what? It doesn’t matter how old you are right now either. The fact is you’ll be THAT much older when your goals have finally been met. Which is exactly zero amounts of fun.
So while yes, we DO need to keep dreaming and planning for a life of financial freedom, we also need to keep in mind that we already have the most precious thing there is right now – time. Nothing is guaranteed, and no matter how old you are at this moment, it’ll be the youngest you’ll *ever* be again. That’s pretty crazy… And, well, depressing, haha… sorry.
(Actually, here’s something else equally as depressing/fascinating at the same time: In 100 years everyone you know will be dead. Your friends, family, lovers, dogs, kids, co-workers, favorite singers/ actors/politicians, mentors, enemies, and almost every baby alive right now as well. In 100 years the entire planet will be covered with an entirely new set of humans taking over where we left off – WOW!)
Point is, keep striving for your goals and rocking that money, but don’t forget to slow down and appreciate what you DO have right now – a living breathing body of awesomeness. The money will come, but it means nothing if we rushed through our lives to get it.
Let’s stop for a moment and love where we are TODAY!
——
PS: Someone once told me I was a “millionaire in training” because it was only a matter of time until I hit that milestone. I really liked that because the truth is if we ALL keep going the way we are with always improving our finances, it’s only a matter of time until EVERYONE hits their goals too.It’s simple math!
PPS: If you liked today’s saying, try on this other one for size too – “Anyone can buy that” ;)
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Well said. But at the same time, I would never want to be a teenager again. And if I had to choose between my life 10 years ago and my life now, I’d easily choose now. I guess if we’re always living our best today, we never have fear or regret about the passage of time – because if we’re always living our best today, chances are it’s better than yesterday.
Very insightful! I do get caught up in getting to the next milestone….I don’t really want to get older, but I do not want to go back either.
I actually agree! I don’t want to go back in time necessarily, I just want to appreciate the RIGHT NOW part. I have no problems being 40/50/60/70/80 and all the way up to 120 as I will (hah ;)). But I DO have a problem rushing through life to hit all my goals only to realize I just wasted the most important thing I had. Time seems to go by faster and faster every year!
I’m with you on that : )
(By the way, did you announce the winner of the RIch B***** book?)
I haven’t announced it separately yet, but I did on the post itself – unfortunately the random generator didn’t pick you though :(
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2015/03/rich-bitch-book-review/
A wise slacker poet once said “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
It really is too easy to get caught up in working, hustling, and the daily grind to stop and appreciate how fortunate we are to be young(ish), be alive, and live where we do. After traveling a bit of the war-torn world, I feel like I have already hit the jackpot by being born into freedom and opportunity. I don’t want to squander that opportunity trading my time for money – especially during life’s best years.
Beautiful words, friend.
From both you, and Mr. Ferris Bueller ;)
We need to enjoy this moment, yes, we want to be debt free but it’s a process that we need to undergo. I will turn 30 this coming May and I can say that I’m not yet financially stable yet, but I’m working on it and every day of my life, I learned a lot of things that surely I don’t want to forget.
I am totally guilty of doing this. I’ve often thought to myself “why be so eager to retire so soon – what if I’m missing out on some of the best times of my life?” I think this is why the whole Tim Ferriss 4-Hour WorkWeek / Lifestyle Design thing has really caught on over the last few years. People don’t want to wait until they are 50 or 60 to enjoy their freedom. They’d rather have it now while they are young and make the trade-off’s they have to in order to get it.
YOLO!
Haha…. that’s the opposite problem :)
Good point, J! This happens to me most of the time..Thanks for reminding us to enjoy our lives now!
I’m working on planning for the near term at the moment. We close on the sale of our first house this weekend and after debating at length with what to do we the proceeds, our answer is nothing. We are going to deposit that check into a money market fund and just enjoy some cas stability for awhile.
It’s refreshing to not just run to the next goal.
YES!!!! Great idea!!
You also get the benefit of dreaming and thinking about all the awesome stuff you can do with it too :) That’s always my answer when people ask what I’d do if i won the lottery – I’d just bank it all and appreciate it before it gets crazy! Haha…
So true! I’m guilty of always looking ahead to the next race, so to speak, which is helpful from a long-term planning perspective, but not so good from a living in the moment perspective. It’s a constant work in progress for me to be more present and less focused on long-term goals. The 100 years concept is sort of bizarre to think about—but true! I do find that life seems to get better with age, so I think we have that to look forward to. Me being more mature is not entirely a bad thing ;)!
I’m totally cool being older too – as long as I appreciated the ride the whole time :)
The other thing about the 100-year dead idea is that it helps put things in perspective more too. Namely, not to take ourselves so seriously all the time because at the end of the day we’re just a blip on the radar! And if we can affect people’s lives for the *better* while here? Even more worth it.
I’m kind of the opposite. So many people reminisce about their younger days and I think “I’d rather be where I am and who I am today”. The older I get, the more information and experience I have, the more confident and secure I am. I’d never go back :)
That’s not the opposite, that’s the exact thing I’m saying :) I don’t want to go back in time necessarily (though it would be interesting), I’m saying I want to appreciate the *here and now* before it speeds up and before we know it we rushed through our lives. I don’t want to be 80 and rich – in money or in knowledge – and then wonder why I didn’t just “live.”
IMHO…the thing that will make you think of time differently is your kids. Not so long ago we brought our children home from the Hospital. And it seems in no time they’re grown and you’re planning a wedding, and they are having children. And it “sneaks” up on you if your not careful. I would think the two most important things are good health and time … things that are so often in life in short supply….
Agreed.
That was the spark for all my new found “enlightenment.” I’ve cut down my working hours by almost 40-50% since (and income), and now on to trying to figure out how to live more and appreciate them before they’re grown and out the house – *tear*
+1.
We could definitely be retired right now if we had just plowed through the past 2 years since our daughter was born like we did before we had her. However, we made a deliberate decision to slow down and enjoy more time with her while continuing to focus on our relationship. If we regret anything it is not cutting back even more sooner, even if it means not hitting FI and retiring by any certain arbitrary age or date on a calender. You can always figure out the money stuff and adjust as you go, but you can’t get back lost time.
You got that right, brotha.
I would only prefer to be younger if I had my 22 year old body with my 36 year old mind. There are many things I wish I did or took advantage of in my youth, but at the same time, they also formed my back story that has made me who I am today, and I like the me of today. I do get caught up in the planning of the future that some days slip by me, but I am getting better at living in the moment and appreciating each lesson along the way.
Stole my thunder Shannon. I was thinking the same thing. Younger yes, but only if I had the wisdom I have today. That’s why I think it’s so important to be teaching our 3 children as much as we can about money. If they start off knowing what I know now, think of the incredible head start they will get.
I don’t want to be younger, I want to appreciate my age *right now* and not speed through life. Even if I’m incredibly smarter/wealthier/The Man in 10 years I don’t want to have ‘lost’ the decade to get there! :)
I am definitely guilty of this. I spent the beginning of my career wishing that I was older and in “more important” roles and I still have that desire now. Unfortunately, I also have the desire to go back to 22 – fresh out of school – to re-do everything “knowing what I know now.” Perhaps I should re-read your article every morning and be satisfied with what I have :)
Print it out and put it on your fridge, baby!
Deep stuff today man! I also say something similar “I’d rather have the cash for that.” Like when I see people with car payments. Not for me!
As I see my daughter grow older by the minute, it really hits me right in the age gut. I feel like by the time I’m able to retire, I won’t have the free time that I want to spend with her! So I try to appreciate her as much as possible now. Limit my phone use around her and really interact/have fun whenever I’m with her. I’m so glad it’s finally getting warm too. Can’t wait to be outside!
YES!!! Phones are killing our communities!! And I’m just as bad about it, ugh…
I’ve blogged about that “rather have cash” idea too – I literally ask myself it at least 3x a week, so helpful! :)
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2014/04/kick-ass-spending-saving-tips/
I’m really terrible about the always-future-thinking thing. Great post!
It is interesting how we tie our happiness to the success of reaching future goals. I have many goals I plan to complete one day, but you always have to take the time to enjoy the now and what you do have. Too many times I’ve been so focused on other things that I don’t appreciate what I have until I’ve lost it. It sucks. Learn to appreciate what you have and the beauty of each day.
I think when it comes to happiness in life you do need to find a way to be happy with where you are right now. Not in the future, not in the past. Being the ripe-ish age of 44 I can say your 20’s and 30’s go by REALLY fast, and I’m sure someone who is 50 and 60 would tell me the same thing. It’s a great reminder J!
Yup, got an email from a 58 y/o reader of my site and said exactly that :) But also that you feel the same then as you do now – which is kinda cool, hadn’t thought of that before? But it’s still “us” no matter our age, eh?
At 53, I agree with your 58 year old reader.
I think we get caught up in future thoughts to compel us to keep moving forward. This is essential to be happy in the first place.
I stayed at home with my 3 children. At times the days seemed long when they were all so young, ages 5, 2, and, 1. The non-stop laundry and, diapers seemed to take up as much time as cooking and, feeding. It was a long blur of endless work. Would I want to go back to that? Heck NO! But, there were smiles and, chubby little fingers reaching for my face to kiss me. There were first foods with hilarious faces, first words, first steps, first birthdays. That is when you can be in the moment, those are the moments that link our lives together as family.
Dreams for the future help keep a happy continuity between the work of today, and the hope of tomorrow. This will continue throughout a healthy life. Read todays post on https://www.stylecrone.com You will enjoy seeing that excitement of life continues on in age.
Beautiful Joy, just beautiful.
I’m currently in those chubby finger diaper days (two boys – one 2 1/2 and the other 11 mos) and it IS all a blur which is why this is on my mind so much lately! I don’t want to speed up time when they’re out of the house and roll their eyes when I want to hug and love all over them!!! :)
Definitely guilty of this… It pays to slow down and take in everything that you have and just enjoy it. For us “personal finance” people, it’s too easy to get wrapped up in the details and constantly look forward to that next savings goal. There will always be another goal to achieve so if your only source of satisfaction is achieving the next thing on your list you will never be satisfied.
Ah yes, this post just reminded me to read the book “The Power of Now.” It’s fascinating to me that many others have had the same mindset of always sprinting to reach their goals, only to realize we didn’t stop along the way to gratefully take in all that was around us. It’s powerful for others to admit this! In each chapter of my life so far, I always looked to the next greatest form of responsibility. But now, I’m about to turn 25 and I’ve been introduced into a world where people have so much gratitude (PF bloggers & incredible entrepreneurs that is!) It’s phenomenal. I’m reminded through people’s writing to prepare, but not neglect to soak in everything around you (family, friends, health, etc.). I realize that I’m not reaching a quarter life crisis, but actually quite the opposite. Thank you for allowing me to be reminded! :)
Hooray!!! 25 is such a great time in life too – enjoy it all, friend! :)
I have been thinking this a lot lately, too. I am really trying to slow down and appreciate life now…the future will come, that is inevitable, so I may as well soak up as much as I can today! And its funny, the older I get the less I want and the more I want less. Its a strange phenomenon, but I love it!
Love it! This post is a great reminder to enjoy life while you have it! None of us know which day will be our last. Money is important, but it’s not everything.
Nice, creative post and important perspective.
This is a really great reminder. As someone who’s anxiously working to pay off debt, I try to keep in mind how lucky I am with my life just the way it is now. It helps to keep everything in perspective.
Yup!
Debt is not forever ;)
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2015/01/debt-is-not-forever/
I love it J$! I often think about this topic in my head. Is it always worth pinching every penny? or staying in every weekend and saying no to spending money with friends? I think there needs to be a balance in life so I have created a fun budget for myself so I don’t end up looking back on my 20’s saying I saved a lot of money but sacrificed a lot of memories in the meantime.
I hear yah man.
And it gets worse if you just no longer enjoy your occupation, which is why I had to get out in 2012.
Forever young! Time to eat some fruit and barley green.
S
That’s the other piece of the puzzle we tend to forget: health!
We all want to live as long as possible, yet we don’t do anything to help make that happen! Food, exercising, etc etc…
I go into my healthy periods, but damn… priorities! :)
Good reminder! And this applies whether you’re chasing the corner office or early retirement,
I’d guess the demographics of people that read this blog are probably much better than average when it comes to financial deferred gratification. I wonder if there is some linkage regarding health, too? Is there something in our brains that defer gratification in all areas…or is there a different part of your brain that tells you, “save that money!” versus “get up and exercise!” I think if it were the same for all types of deferred gratifications…then this group will end up being the happiest, most fulfilled 50, 60, and 70 year olds around!
I know!! Health is super important as without it we’re dead! Yet we still don’t focus on it as much as we can and put career/responsibilities/etc in the front…
What’s wrong with us? ME?? :)
Right on! Even when the here and now is not exactly what I’d like it to be, I try not to “wish my days away”, as my grandmother would say. All we truly have is right now, so best to try and appreciate it for what it is.
Guilty as charged. Sometimes I have to remind myself to stop and smell the roses.
Hit the nail on the head. We have to remember to spend as much time as we can living in the present. Don’t neglect the future, but also don’t only live for the future.
Time is the ultimate currency and we all get 86,400 seconds a day to spend as we please. Don’t piss them away. You will never get them back.
It is the ultimate currency, isn’t it? I like that.
A few weeks ago I changed my ring tone to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. It’s helped. :)
LOOOOOOVE!!!
What a timely post, I was just talking about this with my husband. I’m only 24 and sometimes feel like I’m in limbo. I don’t know how to appreciate the here and now. I often wonder if I’m going anywhere in my life. I’m so used to being on the go, constantly achieving on, that I don’t know how to stop and smell the roses. I want to though. Being this young is awesome and I don’t want to squander it!
Just the fact you’re thinking about it means you’re on the right track :) Just know that you can live life however YOU want it to be – even if it’s different than what 99.9% of everyone else is doing. It’s hard to keep in mind while surrounded by them all, but no one cares what any of us are doing more or less cuz they’re all worried about themselves anyways. Which is funny because we all THINK we’re the center of the world and everyone will care! Haha… all that matters is that we’re working on living a happy and appreciative life.
This was the perfect thing for me to read after a weekend of backpacking and being “young”. Our student loans oftentimes feel suffocating, but you’re right – we’re young newlyweds who have goals and want to eventually be debt free, and we should ENJOY that! Right now we don’t have any kids, live in a fun city, have flexible jobs, and the freedom to do whatever the heck we want. Now I just have to remember all of those things when we get bogged down with finances and start comparing ourselves to others ;)
Yes!!! Kids change everything!! :)
As an old fart, I kinda resent this article. :-)
“if I had my 22 year old body with my 36 year old mind …” Oh Hell yeah, that would be sweet! As long as I could keep my experience/memories.
Oh well …. back to work. Only four more years until retirement!
Haha.. it’s not about going *back* in time really, it was meant to be about loving *right now* :) And four years is awesome about retirement – way to go!
Nice post J Money. This is exactly what’s been at the front of my mind these past few months in particular, and I’ve been working hard to be more present and try to not get caught up in chasing the ‘holy grail’ of financial independence at a complete sacrifice to my ‘present’ self. Every day is absolutely magic if you just take the time to look around!
This post is pretty great for me… As I am swimming in regret. My husband and I enslaved ourselves to 6 figures of student loans and we’re barely making it work now. I get up pretty much every day begging God to let me go back to that point in time, when I was 18 and debt-free, so I can tell myself “Don’t do it! You’re giving up freedom, choice, opportunities!” If we can get our income up to really slay this monster, we will be debt free when we’re 30/31.
Starting from square one in our 30s. No investments, no down payment, but at least no debt.
Ugh.
Hate to say it, Kati, but I’m kind of glad you wrote this. I’m sure sorry to hear about the six-figure student loans, but just know that even though I (age 44) don’t have any debt, I honestly don’t want to “stop and smell the roses” right now because some aspects of my life are just not that desirable (to me; not overly things I would pick as part of a life I considered ‘happy’). THAT SAID!…, what you and I, and perhaps some others on this list, need to do is… keep working every day on making progress financially. That’s at least one thing we can control right now. And also, at the same time, we need to try and focus on the positives we do have, like for me it is health, awesome 16-yr-old dog, job that provides a paycheck/health ins/401k match/pension (yes, pension!). Just know I’m thinking of you and maybe we can all figure this out together :)
I love that you both took the time to share your story here :) Isn’ this community kick ass we have??? No hating and knocking each other down!
I love it.
And I also love that you both are working hard to work on those financial goals too – while hopefully embracing life as well, something I’m sloooooowly getting better at. I just keep telling myself it’s good that we wake up NOW and not decades later when it’s too late! We’re so lucky!!
This is one thing that I’m putting more focus on and Mrs. T has certainly helped me. Instead always looking forward and anticipating what’s going to happen, I’m learning be appreciative of now and really enjoy what we have right now.
I am totally living for today! No rush whatsoever. While l have no desire to be younger, l do wish l had the great eyesight of my youth. You don’t even want to know what l thought that picture at the top of the post was :-) ;-). Now back to sipping my hot Belgian chocolate as l people watch at a square in Ghent on our last night.. :-)
What did you think it was??? haha….
And where the heck is Ghent? (scurries off to Google…Belgium!! COOL!!!)
Did we read the same book or have the same moment in life or something? I’ve taken a step back recently to put things into another light recently. Where my focus should be and what do I really want from life and what do I need to get there while having fun on the way.
I love this saying! A lot of us struggle to just BE without worrying about the past or anxiously waiting for the future. Enjoy the present! Although, I wouldn’t want to go back to my early 20s…I was too foolish with my money back then!
Great perspective. I’m totally guilty of rushing through things just to start another race again right away. I’ve always been goal oriented that way I guess. This is a refreshing perspective.
Amazing reminder!
Facing our own mortality can seem a bit depressing at first, but whether we find it depressing or invigorating doesn’t change the fact of what it is.
One of the things I look forward to most in life is getting older. Not that I want to BE older, but I think the wisdom that comes with a life lived to the brim with experiences is irreplaceable and few people truly achieve.
If things go like I want and I live to 100+, then it means I’ve only gone through about 1/4 of my life and I’ve learned so much already. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when I get to the last 1/4.
Right now, I’m enjoying my young years and squeezing every drop of life out of them that I can. (While being smart and taking care of myself & my health, of course.) I hope it pays off!
Agreed!!!
We’re gonna be sooooo smart down the road! Haha…. Unless we start forgetting it all and then we go back in time ;)
Reminds me of my thoughts on the internet these days. It’s still SO YOUNG comparitively and look how much it changed our world! Imagine what we’ll be doing online in 10 or 20 or 30 years?? And it’s even more exciting if you’re job is online and you can learn and adapt/grow along with it :)
NIce read J$. This is exactly why I simply can’t be super duper absolutely frugal, denying myself pleasures in exchange for saving every penny for “later.” Do I want to do things like travel now while I’m strong, mobile and have endurance, even if it means I don’t put an extra three mortgage payments on the house? (Well, maybe one payment, because I will bargain any adventure down from three mortgage payments to one :)) Yes. There is no question about it. There is a balance and time is absolutely a part of that.
Right on! I’ve had my first real taste of what I will be looking forward to these past few weeks – incapacitating lower back pain. It started 3 weeks ago and I put off getting help because I thought it would get better on its own. Nope. I started seeing a chiropractor last week, and although I am still sore, I can work sitting down again. I’m 50-60% better and it looks like it is healing as I type since I’ve been in this chair for 20 minutes and I don’t feel the need to lay down.
I’m 32. My online business slowed down but my pet sitting is picking up. I worry about money. BUT, I worry about my health and my husband’s health more. I will continue fully funding our Roth IRA’s each year AND we’ll continue vacationing each year. I refuse to live my 20’s-40’s only to put money away for my 50’s-80’s when I will apparently feel crappy way more often.
Great post!
Ack – sorry to hear about your back! You and the husband need to keep having “fun” over there, haha…. ;) Online money has slowed down for me too, but fortunately we’re both hustlers and find other ways to make up for it. I feel like we’re doing good overall though we just keep trying to push harder!
J$,
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
I once wrote an article where I asked readers what they’d pay if you could go down to your local Walmart or store or whatever and buy time. What if they sold time in one-year or five-year or ten-year increments. What would you pay? You’d probably pay a hell of a lot of money. If you were old and dying, you’d probably pay all you had. Which is why it begs the question why are so many people working away their youth for more money when they already have something (time) that’s already so much more valuable.
Great stuff to think about!
Best regards.
I remember that article! Great stuff to think about for sure.
And the sad thing is we all know how to increase this likelihood of living longer (eating well and exercising and being healthy!) but we hardly pay attention to it :( At least I don’t that well… I’m hoping this “slowing down” of life gets me to start working out again and not working so hard behind the computer.
I think we need to remember getting old isn’t a given. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Pleasant thought, huh?! For me, enjoying the moment I’m in is important but so is the need to look up and ponder the future now and again. Somehow, you need to find a balance.
Great perspective, and a great reminder to prep for the future while living in the moment. I remember being 22, eating at McDonald’s with a friend, talking about how broke we were, how we couldn’t wait to get older and richer so we could eat someplace nicer. Then I thought, ‘but we won’t be 22. Might as well enjoy youth and these nasty-ass nuggets.’ Ha! But yeah. In reaching goals, it’s so easy to forget to enjoy what you have right now. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m now going to think of you every time I see nuggets :)
Love this post! I often do the same thing. I wonder how wonderful like will be like 5 years from now, but in reality, I’m having the time of my life right NOW.
I tell my 5.5 year old nephew everyday to never grow up! He always tells me he can’t wait to grow up and work, blah blah blah, and I tell him I’d trade spots with him any day.
Haha… I like that :)
I tell my 2 and 1/2 year old every day that his job is to “have fun and play” when I drop him off at daycare so that he hopefully never forgets :)
I’d definitely rather be younger. Well, assuming I had learned the lessons back then that I know today rather than just repeating my idiot mistakes. Youth is wasted on the young, I suppose!
I always tell people I would happily trade my assets and career to be 18, broke, and back in a dorm room. Time is our most precious commodity.
This is the exact feelings I had while working to finish my engineering degree. Couldn’t wait until I was finished. Looking back there is no part of me that wants to go back in time, but I wish I would have enjoyed the journey towards completion more then sit there and think about how great it will be once I’m done. I guess it’s much like the journey towards financial independence thinking it will be full of awesomeness, unicorns, and rainbows when I should actually slow down to enjoy the journey and the time I have now.
Thanks for sharing
Yup. Might run into a few unicorns this week if you pay attention enough :)
I love this! I’m so guilty of the “only X years until…” speak. Did you know I have everything set up in a spreadsheet until I’m 40? That’s 11 years of planning silliness so I can be mortgage-free with a nice nest egg starting to roll. Ridiculous, right? I’m on the right path, so I should live a little… but I’m kind of a pessimistic polly, and I love being in control, so that happens.
I think that’s sexy as hell :) No reason you can’t have both!
You said it! We often spend so much time worrying about the future that we forget to enjoy the present!
Thats something I need to constantly tell myself:P To not look so far off into the future that I forget the current moment I’m in. I have to admit that sometimes I just mentally kick myself to spend the money on something I really want now instead of saving it for later!
My husband and I tend to play the game where we each ask each other “Should I get this?” knowing that because we said it out loud means we do want to! Lol it’s our last little hurdle before getting something we normally wouldn’t. It usually works out in the end though!
I needed this today, thank you :-)
I seem to be caught up in the fixing finances and forgetting living. Have to find that balance. Life can’t just be about the money or lack there of.
:)
Really well-put JMoney. When I find myself feeling like I’m somehow behind on where I “should be” in life, or like a failure for not yet achieving what I want to, remembering that I have yet to hit 30 and am on a good track takes the sting outta it. Being young means that there’s a lot more time left for these seeds to bear fruit. (Is that the expression?)
But like some other commenters have mentioned above…there’s such a thing as too young. At least for me. I’m still no master at managing my finances…but when I was a teenager/early twenties, I was much, much, much worse with money. So there’s something to be said for the wisdom gained with experience as well.
True true…
But in our youth we’re a lot more riskier and carefree too. Which can also be great qualities! Just not so much when it comes to money back then, haha…
Great Reminder to focus on not only FI, but living life on the way there. My FI journey has taken a little longer than many folks I’ve read about online.. However, I have lived several more lifetimes than all of those folks in terms of my experiences along the way and the abilities I have now that make me self sufficient.
Life is AWESOME!! Money is the bank Is just money in the bank! Get out and experience God’s wonderful beauty and excitement!
Amen!
I totally agree. It’s funny how as you age, your perspective on money & health/youth start to trade places. Does the fact that we would rather be young mean that we are already old?
I hope not or else I look ridiculous with my mohawk :)
Great post! I’ve been guilty of trying to rush to the next phase my entire life, and I’ve finally gotten to the point (in my 30s) where I’ve realized that slowing things down and enjoying THIS phase is really important – even if I don’t quite have 7 figures in investments just yet. :)
30 are the new 20s, that’s what they tell me!
Great article! The problem many people have is that they believe it to be an either/or proposition. If I want to enjoy life today, I need to overspend and have a great time! Actually spending more has little effect on your current level of happiness.
Eckert Tolle has some great ideas about living in the present. Imagining your future life will either create anticipation or anxiety. Everything that ever has happened or will happen happens in the present.
BAM
Man, this is one of your best, truest posts. And I totally agree. But why the hell is it so hard to live by?
Thanks man. That “100 years” thing has stuck with me for weeks now – I literally think about it every day! Really puts things in perspective and reminds me to keep asking myself why the hell I do _____ if it’s not important. I still have a ways to go for optimal living/working, but time *is* slowing way the hell down now which is great :) And so far it’s a direct result of working less. I don’t know what speeds up time more than working!
Love the “Millionaire in Training” comment at the end!
Almost being 25, I have had that realization I do have my goals in place and I am on track to meet them but what if I don’t take advantage of everything that life has to offer? Sometimes I get jealous that some coworkers are doing everything that they want to do while I know I am making decisions today so that I have my nest egg for the future. Is the delayed gratification worth it?
I think I will have to start budgeting in more of the fun stuff in addition to retirement and saving for big life events as well.
I think that sounds like a good idea too :) I typically always have “blow money” I’m allowed to use without worry, and even just knowing it’s there makes a world of a difference even if I don’t touch it. It’s a tricky balance for sure.
Man, is that scary/sobering/important to think about how in 100 years there will be an entirely different set of people on earth. (100 years actually doesn’t sound like a particularly long time…) Just that thought makes me want to slow down time rather than speed it up. I will definitely add this to my strategies for trying to stay more in the present moment!
Puts things into perspective like crazy :)