"We work to live and not live to work"
A phrase I always remind myself when I become painfully stingy.
I can give to my family but not to myself and sometimes, it becomes so unbelievably extreme to a point that I question myself.
I totally change. I realized that life is here and now, instead of constantly worrying what my life will be 10 or 20 years from now.
Worrying is a reason we survive but too much worrying can make our lives miserable
Again, we work to live and living means to live, to spend time with people we love, to buy flowers and enjoy and smell it, to enjoy life coz life is here and life is now.
I am not suggesting you become a hedonist, doing what feels good without thinking of the outcome of your actions or without regards of the future consequence. We need balance and balance means not going to the extreme- extremely cheap or extremely extravagant.
Though I have been preaching and practicing frugality, I still get urge to splurge once in a while. Yep, I am still human and I get tempted. I want to buy this, I want to buy that. A part of me says "Come on, you only live once, what if you'll get hit by a car tomorrow and die?" and another part says " Pffffft, it's a waste! Why are you entertaining such thoughts? You are waaaay better than that"
I am no saint and sometimes, I give in.
Yes, I give in once in while, BUT if I allow myself to buy something, I make sure I go "through a process". A process of asking myself questions, a process of waiting to make sure that I thought about it thoroughly, to make sure that it's not an instant-gratification-kind -of-spending.
Though I have been preaching and practicing frugality, I still get urge to splurge once in a while. Yep, I am still human and I get tempted. I want to buy this, I want to buy that. A part of me says "Come on, you only live once, what if you'll get hit by a car tomorrow and die?" and another part says " Pffffft, it's a waste! Why are you entertaining such thoughts? You are waaaay better than that"
I am no saint and sometimes, I give in.
Yes, I give in once in while, BUT if I allow myself to buy something, I make sure I go "through a process". A process of asking myself questions, a process of waiting to make sure that I thought about it thoroughly, to make sure that it's not an instant-gratification-kind -of-spending.
- Why do you want this thing?
- Will it improve the quality of my life?
- Will it make my life easier?
- Will I be using it often?
- Will it make me a better person? Will it gives me positive outlook in life?
- Do I need to take money from my emergency fund to buy this thing?
- Did I already put at least 50 percent of my income this month?
- Am I willing to spend X amount of hours at work to be able to get this? See explanation here.
- Am I willing to wait at least 2 months before saying "go ahead and buy it"?
After 2 months, I ask myself if I am still thinking about that certain "want",then I'd go ahead and ask myself the same questions above with an additional questions below:
- Now that you have spend 2 months thinking of buying "it", are you still super duper mega over sure to buy it? You survive for 2 months without it, is it still worth to spend that certain amount of money?
- Are you sure about it?
- Are you really really sure?
- Are you really really really really sure?
- ............. :)
And the next day, I would go ahead and march to the store and buy it, or not buy it at all. I wouldn't doubt myself coz I know I went through a process.
It is okay to spend, I am telling you, but you need to make sure that you aren't spending like there's no tomorrow.
Always remember to seek balance.
Have you found your balance yet, my friend?
Yes friend nka try na..mas maayo jud ang e balance kay walay regrets. Mag unsa manang sobra ka barato nya dali ra kaayo maguba..pasensya na friend bisaya ra kaayo ako comment..hehe.. thanks for your nice posts i learned a lot..:-)
ReplyDeleteOi sus, gi mingaw nako ug bisaya. Most of my filipino friends are ilokano. Duha ra mi nga bisaya.
DeleteThanks for the nice comment. I'll check your blog
I see, pareha diay ta from lapu-lapu.. gamay ra kaayo na ako blog friend oi ky tagsa ra pud ka post then mubo ra pud ky gamay ra ug english..hehe
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Nice article. I see myself in you. I really,really make sure it's worth it when I "splurge" on something. I only give myself two weeks though, to decide if I would spend on something or not.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Dapat may time talaga to think bago bilhin those things that are expensive .
DeleteWhat I do is I just delay it over and over and over again until i lose my craving to a thing. I enjoy reading this article esp this part Now that you have spend 2 months thinking of buying "it", are you still super duper mega over sure to buy it?
ReplyDeleteHahaha. What goes in my head when I talk to myself is sometimes cray. LOL.
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