I am going to be forward. My intention for this week’s post is to have all my readers question themselves. Questioning yourself, the actions you make, your interests, and pretty much every aspect of your life is important. Why you might ask? Well, because it makes you who you are. It gets rid of any doubt you might carry, and helps to develop new perspectives. Questioning means that you are inquiring, and inquiring means that you are learning.
So now I am going to pose the question that I want you to ask yourself: How do you value money? Is money power? Is it irrelevant? Can it make you happy?
Regardless of how you answered that question, I want you to compare your money values to mine.
I won’t lie to you, sometimes I really don’t value money. Before I embraced a frugal lifestyle, I was a reckless spender. And by that I mean when I got a dollar, it virtually burnt a hole in my hand if I didn’t spend it. I can’t even remember the things I’ve wasted my money on; it ranges from waterproof watches to a leash for my fat cat.
It wasn’t until I got my first job at the movie theater that I began to realize the value of a dollar. I remember thinking, as I was non-stop scooping popcorn that, for an hour of my hard work, I was making $8.25. Soon thereafter, whenever I would go shopping and look at something, I would think to myself, is this worth three hours of work, or the amount of time I had to work to buy that item?
I began to ask myself, “Tara, if you are going to work so hard for something, then why are you going to spend it on an item that is irrelevant or in no way improves your life?” That idea stuck with me. I wanted to be smart about the money I earned, and save for things like an education and my future.
Do I always abide by that? No. Do I put every single dollar into savings? Absolutely not. I do still believe in living my life, but I also believe in investing in myself. Think of it this way, saving money is like investing in your future. Earning a college degree is crucial in today’s culture and realistically that is going to cost money ─ most likely saved, or borrowed and paid back.
If you have been paying attention to the news, you know how much student loan debt this country has, about 1.2 trillion dollars. When I think of that figure, I think of each student’s personal debt. I think of how debt can disable happiness, which leads me to conclude that I don’t want that. I don’t want to graduate from college with an absurd amount of debt, hence why I value money.
So my answer (to the same question that I proposed to all of you above) is that I value myself, my future, and my success. Reaching my goals requires money. Every hour I put into work, I know I am one step closer to those goals. I don’t plan on sitting at my desk from 9-5 everyday without reason or purpose because if I did I wouldn’t be valuing my future. Without purpose, the money I make would be used on forgotten items. So I keep my purpose with me, right next to my goals of course, and use it as a reminder; a reminder that my future is important.
If you valued your future, wouldn’t you do the same?
You can take what I said with a grain of salt or maybe even use it as inspiration — it is up to you. All I encourage you to do is ask yourself, how do you value money?
As Blogger and budget aficionado, Tara K. helps students across the country enhance their knowledge about money management and everyday life. She is constantly looking for new ideas to transform into great advice for you. Pursuing a journalism major, Tara K. has a passion for the art of inquiry, which is conveyed through her writing.