OR is making it a lot more difficult for us to save money. Let me explain.
Have you ever struggled with these beliefs?
- I can either enjoy my youth OR save money.
- I can either have money now OR later.
- I can travel OR save money.
Saving money and having fun are not mutually exclusive, they aren’t opposites, and luckily, you don’t have to choose between the two. Here are the only four possibilities when it comes to this spending/saving/fun debacle:
Spend money and not have fun. (Like going to a country concert when you don’t even like country music.)
Spend money and have fun. (Like traveling to Asia to practice your Mandarin and experience new cultures.)
Save money and not have fun. (Staying home to do homework instead of going to the movie theater with friends)
Save money AND have fun. (Like having a romantic candlelit dinner of BBQ bacon cheeseburgers at home for your Valentine’s day dinner instead of battling the crowds at the steak house)
I’ll admit it’s not as easy as just picking the “Save money and have fun” option because we don’t always know what is going to end up being fun or not. It’s going to take some trial, error and calibration to discover new activities and try them out or tweak existing activities to either be less expensive or more fun. Also, there should be times when we consciously pick the “Spend money and have fun” option because there are things worthwhile enough to invest in, but it just shouldn’t be all the time.
I wanted to remind us all that Saving money AND having fun is an option. The internet is plum full of examples of how to have fun on the cheap; stay-cations, travel hacking to experience non-local fun, hiking, floating, movie nights at home, and endless other creative options.
Try to catch yourself when you are “OR”ing. Embrace the AND; it’s real and it’s how to thrive while working towards our financial goals.