Lee Eisenberg has an excellent thought about the value of money.
The greatest uncertainty of all may be the uncertainty over what money is good for. We bury this uncertainty under a million cliches. Money can’t buy happiness. Oh, no? Money can buy time and opportunity to do the things we most love. It can help us fulfill our obligations as parents to our kids and as kids to our parents. It buys quality health care. But somehow or other, we get our knickers all twisted up when it comes to figuring out the real value of money. Could it be that in the end the reason we don’t plan is because we don’t have anything meaningful to plan for?
— Lee Eisenberg, The Number
Via: Debtspiration.com
May 30th, 2006
For a humorous look at the difficulties of being frugal, see TrailerParkRave.com:
I posit there is no such thing [as frugality], because the universe demands a zero sum by the time all accounts are settled, and money saved will always come at the expense of time or something less tangible but of comparable value. (Source: The Relatively High Cost of Being Cheap)
May 20th, 2006
A comment on our last post, Winning on the margins, brought up a very interesting topic.
“You still have to balance [frugality] with living a nice life though. Winning for the sake of winning, or being frugal for the sake of being frugal will probably not lead to a better life. Living a life where you express yourself and achieve your goals through reaching your highest potential probably will, but it is not necessarily the same thing.”
So, what’s the point of being frugal if it doesn’t lead to a better life? I’d argue that frugality, in its correct form, will undoubtedly lead to a better life. The purpose of frugality is to manage your money in a way the enables you to create wealth. Overtime, you can begin relying more on your wealth for income instead of a job. Being frugal for that purpose creates self-control and freedom from financial stress - both of which lead to a better, happier life. Frugality does NOT mean being a selfish miser with your money who hordes it just for the sake of not spending it.
There is another statement in that comment that brings up another great point:
“You still have to balance [frugality] with living a nice life…”
I really agree with that. There are many things in life that may not bear financial fruits, but are definitely worth spending money on. You could learn a new language; learn to play a sport, or a musical instrument. You could move to a struggling country for a while and volunteer your time and talents to help less privileged people. Things that add to your personal development and build character are most likely worth the expense. I would say be frugal when it comes to consumer goods. The value they add to our lives is debatable compared to the financial burdens they can create.
May 17th, 2006
Olympic athletes finish races within seconds or milliseconds of each other, but they would be minutes or hours ahead of me. To win an Olympic event, it’s not enough to be “pretty” fast. Victory is in the margins. To win you have to perform at least as well as the other Olympic athletes and then do that extra little bit that pushes you to the top.
If you’re trying to live a frugal lifestyle, live within your means, save money, etc., don’t settle for less than an Olympic performance. It’s not enough to be frugal or financially disciplined MOST of the time. If you’re frugal 6 days a week and then splurge on the 7th (to congratulate yourself for your frugality!) then you haven’t been frugal. Frugality, like other character traits, is a matter of consistency. You can pat yourself on the back only after have learned to be consistent.
May 6th, 2006