Words of Wisdom

I know, I'm gettin' crazy - 2 posts in 1 day! That hasn't happened since Halloween weekend. However, when I popped on over for my daily inspiration from Heart of Light, I simply had to reiterate something written in today's post, because I believe in it so completely.

Let me preface this by saying, I am a neurotic money saver. I get to the point that my immediate family takes it upon themselves to gently remind me that life has to be lived, even as future unknowns are saved for. One can't make one's life about saving, you still have to live it. This is a hard lesson for me to grasp, my natural impulse is to make sure I will be able to take care of myself should the unthinkable happen (I lose my job, lose a roommate, etc., the potential list is endless so you can see how one can get into trouble and commit to eating only beans for life), and I have to remind myself, daily sometimes, that it's okay to spend a bit.

Rachel of Heart of Light appears to share my natural tendency towards saving, and I think she stated very eloquently the facts behind the necessity of finding balance:

"[Purchasing some well-thought-out] things improve my life, tangibly. I'm careful not to take them for granted, to remember that I'm lucky. I don't deserve these things, in the sense that I'm somehow entitled to them as a right (indulgences are not rights even if it seems like everyone else can afford them - I think we tend to forget that sometimes). But I deserve them in the sense that I work hard for them and I budget for them and I appreciate them."

Well said! I firmly believe that all of us should do what we can to try and maintain a safety net for future unknowns. Even $20 a month is something, should you get a leaky pipe, have a car problem, or need to get a pair of snow boots resoled, you'll be happy to have an emergency stash-o-cash. I know it's not so easy for everyone, and that there are a lot of us who honestly do not have even an extra dollar at the end of every month. But if there are unnecessary things you can cut out of your spending stream, without severely lowering your quality of life, I fully encourage it.

Now, on with your days, and Happy First Day of a New Month, everyone!

{image}