Life is a crazy thing… you can only guess at what it’s going to throw at you next. Of course as you get a bit older your guesses get more informed and you start to plan ahead a bit instead of just reacting to what comes along. A big factor in all this is how much money you can save up for these little bumps in the road. Saving is tough because it involves figuring out the difference between what you need and what you want.
Some things are easy food, clothing, and shelter are definite needs, but what about cable tv, cell phones, etc. are those needs or wants. I say things like “I need x for kayaking because it’s my hobby”, but do I need it or do I want it. Is a hobby a need or a want. What about other forms of entertainment? Should I look at going to the movies as a waste of money?
Pat and I were chatting a bit about this last night. He and his wife, Sara, are expecting their first child. Pat and I have both basically been living up to our means. What I mean by that is that we pay our bills and what’s left over is spent on play. We are both now facing situations where we need to make some tougher decisions about our money. For him it’s a baby and for me it’s making sure we stay a float while Nicole get her masters degree.
I guess it’s all part of growing up. For some people it comes naturally for others it’s more of a struggle. I fall in to the later half of that group.
– Jeremy