I don't know how you get your money, but I have to work hard for mine. We seem to get more "stuff" the harder we work, and the more "stuff" we get, the more we seem to need. People often get stuck in a battle over money as they work harder and longer to keep up with the Jones'. In our world of too much, maybe it's time for us all to stop for a moment and think about what really matters.
What's nice is nice. When we have nice cars, nice homes, and nice furniture, we feel like we've made it. When we work really hard to reach a goal, those little rewards we get are so worth it. But once we're up to our ears in debt and have to work to pay the interest on all of our nice things, we're stuck in a life where we have to work way too hard to find time to play.
A strong work ethic is beautiful, but there are a lot of people in our society who don't have it. Still, the most successful people in the world always live below their means, no matter how much money they have in the bank. When we live below our means, we have more choices. Plan to get a job on the other side of the country, or maybe even the world? If you have a little extra money in the bank, you can do these things.
With a little extra money in the bank, medical problems don't have to ruin everything, and kids with sudden special needs don't have to feel bad because their dad had to sell one of his toys. When we have a little extra money in the bank, life's surprises don't throw us so far off track. We all know this, but more and more of us are financing our lives away and not really being able to enjoy all the "stuff" we work so hard for.
So how can someone stop trying to keep up with the Joneses and become a little more relaxed and enjoy life? Whether you believe it or not, it's easier than most people think. Cut back.
We can relax and enjoy life more when we cut back. When we scale back, we stop trying to keep up with the material world, and most of our friends will still like us just the same. If they don't, do we really want them as friends? Scaling down teaches our kids that there are more important things in life than getting the newest, best thing just because it's the newest, best thing. It shows our children that there are important things in the world that can't be bought.
This doesn't mean that having toys isn't useful. If you want a boat and can pay for one, you should get one. But if your budget lets you buy a $35,000 boat, but you save money so you can buy a $50,000 boat, how long will you have to enjoy the boat? If you buy something that is easy for you to pay for, you will feel less stressed about money and less pressure to own it every time you step on it.
Where does this need to have everything that is "better than them" come from? Most experts say it comes from the idea that money can solve problems and that people who seem to have a lot of money also have a lot of respect. Money doesn't solve problems, people do. Even though not having enough money is very stressful, we can't buy, pay off, or solve our problems with money. People who go about their day knowing they are responsible for their lives and in charge of them are much happier and content with the world than those who think the next new toy will make them happy.
You can't buy respect. It comes from working hard, doing the simple right and good things in life, and taking time out of your busy day to help someone. It depends on who you are, where you want to go, and how you treat other people along the way. Trying to keep up with the Jones' is not a good way to gain respect.
The happiest and most successful people in the world will tell you that their secret is a well-rounded approach to everything, that living below your means reduces stress and pressure, and that happiness comes from within.
We put too much weight on what other people think about our lives as a whole. Since they don't pay our bills, it makes sense to learn to worry less about what they think and more about what we think of ourselves. Once you start trying to keep up with the Joneses, it's hard to stop and say the battle is a tie.
