Your Money or Your Life
... I may have taken this a little extreme but the concept is a very good one. In contrast I have also been able to use this tool to justify an expenditure. I recently bought a new motorcycle. Technically, I really cannot afford it - however, the fulfillment that I have and will receive outweighs my time spent to earn it heavily. It may have cost me 10 weeks of pay but I have already enjoyed the excitement of my new bike that its been entirely worth it. I have also been able to put off other frivolous purchases due to the fact that I know I want that motorcycle more. This method of weighing the proposed satisfaction versus life energy spent has bee a very effective tool for me to improve my personal finance situation. Another huge point that the authors touched upon that was really profound to me is this very question: What is the purpose of work (227)? I want work to be a supplement to finance my life. Not my life itself. I have no problem working 70 hours a week - but it must be for some greater accomplishment other than just money itself. Never has the money itself been a motivator for me. I assume that money and the nice things I want will accompany my accomplishments but they are not what I am striving for. Of the things listed on page 228 there were some reasons that were very pertinent to my style. Enjoyment would have to be my first selection, followed by creativity and fulfillment, prestige and status, socializing, personal growth, time structuring and earning money. All of these things are motivators as to why I want to work. This is why I cannot work a corporate job just to have a job and make some money. I intend to put off any marriage or family commitments for some time in order to allow myself space to put all of these goals into action. Valuing my life energy and capitalizing on a high-paying, high-integrity job in the near future is a major goal of mine. The primary goal of Dominguez and Robin’s plan is to reach a place of financial independence (259) - a place where you do not have to work for an income in order to survive. The whole point to being financially independent is not to have all kinds of money to spend on whatever I want, however. The point is to have more time and energy available to invest in more personal t...