An Existential Money Crisis

How much stress in your life is derived from money? For something that is only meant to be a tool that gets us to an end result, it actually becomes a pain point when we are determining what to do with it.

It doesn’t matter if you have plenty or too little, money can be the cause of angst and despair. We wanted to address some of these pain points and show that money is just a means to an end. The collection of issues below are some of the reasons that money becomes an issue itself. Let’s relieve some of the pressure, shall we?

Saving is Too Hard

No matter what we are saving for, we run into the issue of not saving enough. We complain that “life gets in the way” or “I really needed those shoes” and the money we were going to save gets scattered into the economy and lining someone else’s bank account.

Saving is hard. Saving is never too hard. I’ll show you. 

We have to find ways to save money that don’t impact the parts of your life that you care about most.

• Adjust your home thermostat till you save.
• Eat out less.
• Make a commitment to using things till they are completely used up.

The problem isn’t that saving is too hard, it’s that we are inflexible in cutting back in other areas. I’ve been there, and as my savings piled up, I thought of a million ways I could be spending that cash.

We have to fight those urges too, and then make sensible decisions that add up to more financial cushion.

Life Gets in The Way

Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. If we all know this to be true, then why are we not prepared for the eventuality that something is going to happen?

In the last section we learned that we have to save money, in this section we learn that we should earmark that money for the eventualities of life.

You must have these to be successful:

• Emergency Fund
• Investment Account
• Spend less than you earn
• Taco night every Tuesday

These are fundamental and essential things successful people always have and do.

Once you have earmarked funds for these purposes, life won’t get in your way as much as before.

You’ll sleep easier knowing everything is covered. That feeling cannot be oversold, that once you have a cushion for every aspect of your life, your ass doesn’t hurt anymore.

My Family Needs…Stuff

Whether you are single or have a growing family, we all have birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries that we have to spend money on. Right?

That depends on how your family is conditioned for these events. I’ve been told that I am cruel and inhumane for not buying every 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousin a gift on Christmas.

Oh, the humanity! How will they ever get by without a new shaver set?!

You may laugh, but some families measure the amount of love they are receiving in pure dollars.

I’m not saying give up your traditions, but find less expensive ways to celebrate. No matter the holiday, I promise that you’ll find that you are spending too much for little gain.

Before you call me a monster, do you think little Timmy will miss the Happy Birthday banner that we spend 10 bucks on every year?

Didn’t think so.

Make an effort to cut a few corners and you’ll find that money has been leaking from your account every holiday.

I Want the “Good Things” in Life

This is your own damn fault. It could be partially attributed to society and other factors, but it’s all on you mostly.

We always feel entitled to “enjoy” our money because we freaking earned it, right? Well yes, I would generally agree with that sentiment, but HOW are you enjoying it?

I would argue that the most precious resource is time, and once I’ve earned enough money, I’m going to buy my own time back.

While most of us are valuing luxury items, gourmet foods, or expensive trips above all else, I am seeing the world for what I want to shape it into being.

That is a life of freedom and complete relief from stress.

For all the “good things” you buy, you are setting back your financial future.

Prioritize what you really need and you’ll see these things falling by the wayside. You can look at me like I’m crazy all you want, I don’t care that you make 6 figures a year and you think you’ve earned “luxury”.

What you are really doing is forgetting what life is truly about. Take a few luxuries off of your to do list and you’ll see that you not only have more money, but that you don’t miss them one bit.

Conclusion

The excuses we tell ourselves is what keeps us from being successful with our money. Hopefully we have given you some ammunition to fight the urges that swell up within you.

Don’t let life sneak up and take away things because you weren’t prepared.

Also don’t let being successful destroy what it took to get there.

We all walk our own paths financially, but examining what we do wrong will make the future easier for us all. Don’t let any of these financial excuses get the better of you.

What have you sacrificed to save money? What are some changes that you would propose that people do to make a positive impact on their financial lives? We want your story! Let us know below.