When I was young, I didn’t have any money other than from allowance (which I pretty much was taught to save).
In fact, I was so frugal as a child, I hardly spent any money at all because of the belief that I needed to save it all. While my financial picture was always pretty good, I missed a lot of great childhood and young adult opportunities because of the belief that spending money on them would be a waste and saving like a miser was the way to go. This is one part of my past that I would love to change, but that window has past and I can’t time travel.
One of the most vivid memories of being too tight with money was when I was in the school cafeteria and a very pretty girl caught my eye. She was strikingly beautiful and hot all at the same time. I couldn’t help from keep glancing over at her. Well, she caught me looking at her a few times, and with about 5 minutes left of the lunch period, she got up from across the lunchroom walked over to the area where I was sitting and asked me out on a date. I wanted to go badly, but instead, I made up some excuse because I didn’t have a car and I didn’t have money for a date. The girl was a knockout in every sense of the word, and I could kick myself for not taking action back then.
Similar events have happened during my college days. There were numerous times when friends would go to a concert or something that require a bit of money, and I would pass on that occasion because I felt like it would be a waste of money, and because of my own natural frugal behavior.
Not that I’m married with children, I don’t want my kids to behave the same way, but at the same time, I don’t want them to spend wildly either. It’s a balance that I’m trying to teach them and myself at the same time. I have progressed, I’m getting better! I no longer get nauseous when I spend money on smaller and medium-priced options. I was very pleased when I bought my son a laptop and I didn’t feel ill at all. It was a wonderful feeling in fact. Of course, I knew that I wouldn’t have to go into debt to accomplish the purchase too and that always helps…
I have to wonder if I’m alone in my money management style. I rarely read about anyone with issues of spending, and in fact, I seem to be in the minority with my particular money skills especially since I’m totally debt free…
I’m not going to let the same happen to my kids, in a future post I’ll reveal my plans for them…
So readers, do you have problems spending and are you trying to establish a perfect balance as I am?
Spend some and enjoy life,
Don
