Mindful Savings: The Secret to Turning Dreams into Financial Freedom
What’s the single best way to make the financial game winnable? You need to figure out what you really want, eliminate expenses that don’t bring you joy, set realistic goals, and create an achievable plan to get you there.
This money is for you. For your family. For your future. It doesn’t go to expensive restaurants or a new car to replace the one that’s still got 50,000 miles to go on the odometer. Try not to think of it in terms of the purchases you’re not making today. Focus instead on the returns you’ll reap tomorrow.
Rather than going out for dinner with friends—at a cost, say, of $50—why not order in a couple pizzas and beers and split the cost among your group? Trade one good time for another, save yourself about $40 each time out, and you’ll be way ahead of the game. What’s that, you say? Forty dollars doesn’t sound like much? Well, you’re right about that, but do this once a week, and put those savings to work, and you could take years off your retirement time horizon. Do the math: you’re not just saving $40 a week, but this one small shift in your spending can save you approximately $2,000 each year.
At the end of the day, the question to ask yourself is this:
Do my expenses, big and small, bring me the thrill they once did?
It’s not about depriving yourself; it’s about adjusting your spending habits to mirror your core values and indulge only the experiences that truly matter to you.
“As a species, we’re not only wired to choose today over tomorrow, but we hate to feel like we’re losing out on something. The bottom line is, if we feel like we’re losing something we avoid it, we won’t do it. That’s why so many people don’t save and invest. Saving sounds like you’re giving something up, you’re losing something today. But you’re not.” —Tony Robbins
Start creating a customized “dreams into reality” plan right now. Use this quick-and-easy six-step exercise to get you thinking more aggressively – more purposefully – about saving.
