Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Plan for Tomorrow, Enjoy Today!


If you have been following my blog, you know that I am big on savings, big on investing, and big on being debt free. This is how I live, and I’m happy to share it in the hopes that I might assist and inspire others to get their financial house in order. I offer this project as a public service. I’m trying to help!
There are some people who think that my way is unrealistic. Some say that my way is nervous, fear based, or too conservative. Too much saving! Too much sacrifice! Paying cash for everything is crazy! I recently had a dear, sweet women tell me, “Paying cash for a car is impossible!” Really?
I think the force behind the doubt is the idea that my way entails nothing but needless fear and sacrifice. I believe the doubters are missing the point. I don’t let anxiety drive the process. I want to enjoy my life now AND in the future. I drive the process with HOPE and JOY.  Any anxiety or fear that I might have felt along the way decreased as my confidence and wealth increased. This is a FUN trip!
Financial planning will sometimes entail sacrifice, but not to the exclusion of all else. You can still have fun, travel, eat out, and have nice things. You just need to plan for it, pace yourself, avoid debt, and know that sometimes you might need to delay gratification to meet a larger goal. 
Some people base their financial plans (or lack of) on the assumption of 100 years of sunshine. Not me. I know that rain will fall. I have an umbrella in my car. Does that make me an anxious person, a fearful person, a pessimist? No, it makes me a realist. It WILL rain. When it does, I’m ready. The rain will not be a big deal for me, because I anticipated it. 
The ultimate goal of my financial planning methods is peace, but we don’t wait until all goals are met to experience peace. We can find peace in the process, in the progress, in the little wins that start to add up. It is possible to enjoy your life now while also planning for the future. Just be sure the former does not completely eclipse the latter. And please, whatever you do, don’t believe that it is impossible.

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