Does anyone remember that Lending Tree commercial? You know...the one with the middle aged, Caucasian, family man, riding on his mower with the plastered on smile, who went on and on about his big house, fancy cars, etc; then stated that he affords it all because he's in debt up to his eyeballs--all with the same permanent, fake smile on his face? Come on, you know you remember it....
I thought about this commercial when I thought about doing this post. Is it worth it to have the big house and fancy cars at the expense of your happiness/peace of mind? Do you have any of these symptoms:
* Stuck in a job you hate because you can't afford to leave
* You're working more than one job (not a side business) just to make ends meet in regards to your necessities?
* Are you sacrificing free time, hobbies, volunteer activities in the name of working longer and harder?
* Are you sacrificing quality time with friends and family because you are too tired after a very long day at the job?
* Are you constantly stressed? About the career? Bills? Retirement?
* Are you neglecting your health in the name of the Almighty dollar? Are you overweight because you simply don't have the time to cook nutritious meal or exercise? Do you have stress related stomach problems? What about migraines?
You'd be surprised (or not) at the number of people who are living a life of quiet desperation--and most of them earn a great income. We have all heard the saying, 'It's not what you earn, it's what you spend'. There are so many who are sacrificing their life for material possessions. The book 'Your Money or Your Life' calls this 'making a dying'.
So, the question is, are you making a dying?
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When I heard that ad, I wanted to bang on the dashboard and say - "Yea, but you got 30 years of mortgage payments left, buddy! And now you're taking on car payments, too!"
These are great questions to ask ourselves. And it might be time to re-evaluate one's situation if there are too many "yes".
Besides all that I listen to the Dave Ramsey show and hear people call in who can't afford the big house or nice car and its costing them their whole family. It would be nice to own a lotta stuff but its nicer to be able to be a stay at home mom and drive my kids to and from school every day and make snacks for them (when i have them lol) or as a single person instead of having a big house, I could take trips once a month ect....
the older I get the more I pay attention to my heath and my spiritual well being and I do believe I am in full balance. I am becoming debt free and temporariliy sacrificing so that later on in life I won't have too, and better to do it young then have to start when im 50 or 60!
Great post and yes I do remember that commercial!
Unfortunately, I don't know many people that truly love their job. The work environment seems to also have gotten more negative since raises and bonuses seem all but gone, and people see their friends getting laid off.
My advice to anyone going into college is to get educated in something you think you will truly have a passion for and could see yourself doing the rest of your life. However, it is hard to know what that is when you are just 18.
If you haven't already, you should most certainly read the book "Your Money or Your Life". It's the financial bible as far as I'm concerned!