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We all have different personalities and things that we find fun. For many years, I’ve known that I am not the sort of person who enjoys going out to crowded places and doing the “typical” Friday and Saturday night activities of movies, restaurants, and bars/clubs. I’m also not thrilled by crowded athletic events or concerts. Part of it is the high price tag associated with many of these activities and part of it is that I just don’t like crowds. But a few weeks ago I made an exception. Some old friends came into town and they are definitely the sort that like to have crowded fun. They want to do what everyone else is doing, or what’s “hot” in town. They wanted to spend the weekend going to a concert, restaurants, a movie, and a hockey game. I said, “Sure.” That was my mistake.

The grand total that I spent on the weekend was north of $500. That included tickets to the events, meals, and parking for my husband and I. And that was with us trying to be somewhat frugal, at least at the restaurants. (My friends covered their own expenses.) More than the money, though, was the misery of that weekend. Everything was crowded with pushing, loud people. We spent hours sitting in traffic for the concert and the hockey game. We waited for tables at the restaurants only to get food that was mediocre. We had to shout at each other to be heard no matter where we went. (I was still shouting three days later because I’d gotten into the habit.) Whenever we’d try to have a conversation we were interrupted by other people shouting at each other so it’s not like any of this was quality time with our friends. The movie was a misery thanks to people talking and using their phones in the theater. All in all, I received nothing but unhappiness from my $500 and I was left thinking of all the other, more enjoyable things I could have done with that money

The point of this story isn’t that you should never go to an expensive event or get out in crowds. If you genuinely enjoy that sort of thing, go right ahead. The point is that you have to know what makes you happy and know when to say, “No,” to activities that are going to end up making you miserable and wasting your money. I should have told my friends that I would be happy to go to one of the activities, but not all of them. That would have been a good compromise.

We could have spent the days together hanging out at quieter/less expensive venues and then I could have sent them off at night to do all the other things they wanted. We still would have had time together, but I wouldn’t have ended up exhausted and unhappy. It would be the same if I went to visit them and made them stay in every night reading classic literature. I would be having fun, but they would be miserable. The compromise would be for me to stay in at night and read while letting them go off to party. We could spend the days doing other things together and preserve our sanity.

In order to have fun and get the most out of the money you spend on fun, you have to know what will bring you joy. If you don’t like certain kinds of fun, no matter how popular that fun may be, you’re going to end up resenting the wasted money. So save the money for the things you enjoy. If you’re feeling pressured by your friends to do something else, either find a good compromise or say no. Everyone will survive, you’ll have a better time (and better quality time) and you’ll save money.

Steve Jobs is often associated with ingenuity and the man himself has often been called a genius. While most people recognize Steve Jobs for his contribution to the technological field, much of his advice can also be taken into consideration when it comes to financial matters, just as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Jobs gave plenty of advice on starting your own business and what to watch out for when it comes to investments and loans, and here are a few pieces of advice you should consider when it comes to your own finances:

Losing Money Can Be a Learning Experience

It’s well-known that Jobs has, at one time or another, lost money because some of his products didn’t take off. But Jobs was not only ambitious, but pragmatic, and believed that losing money was a learning experience. No one enjoys losing money, but when it happens, you should figure out how to avoid falling into a similar situation. Use the situation as a learning experience to try to avoid such problems in the future.

Never Lose Money You Borrow

Jobs suggested that it’s never a good idea to lose money that you borrow from a friend or investor. Losing the money you borrow from someone not only puts you in a worse financial situation, but it means that people are less likely to loan you money in the future. While sometimes this situation is unavoidable, you should always do your best to borrow money only when you know you’ll be able to eventually pay it back.

Learn From Others

Learning from others and their experiences is another great tip to keep in mind. You never know which of your acquaintances may have had the same money troubles you’re currently suffering from. They may have advice to give you to ease your struggle. On the other hand, someone else may have a strong financial background and can point you in the right direction as you work to get out of debt or make a big investment.

Focus is Important

Jobs also often stated that having focus is important no matter what goal you’re trying to achieve. If you want to save money, you need focus. You can’t just decide to save on a whim, putting money into the bank one day and then forgetting to do so for the next couple weeks. Trying to achieve any monetary goal, whether it’s climbing out of debt or putting money aside for an emergency fund requires a strong, focused plan.

Persistence is Also Important

Additionally, persistence is also important. It can be hard to save money or climb out of debt, but you need to force yourself to follow whatever financial plan you’ve outlined. Persistence will not only help you reach your end goal, but it will make you feel better about yourself in the long run.

Push Yourself Toward Your Goals

Job has also commented that it’s important to push yourself towards your goals. He never would have created so many Apple products if he had not pushed himself to find the best computer design. If you have a certain financial goal in mind, push yourself towards achieving it. It may take hard work and sacrifice, but the final outcome will be more than worth it.

Look at the Positive

You also always need to look at the positive side of things. For instance, you might need to start cutting expenses in order to stay within your budget or start paying off debt. But instead of focusing on the negative aspects, instead focus on the positive aspects. Your financial situation could always be worse, and cutting out those daily trips to the coffee shop might not be the worst thing you have to endure.

Less Is More

Jobs was always a proponent of “less is more”. His Apple products are sleek and minimalistic and hew often stated that it was better to focus on one thing and ignore the 1,000 other requests being thrown at him. When it comes to making financial decisions, sometimes less is more. For instance, instead of trying to set aside money in ten different accounts, pool your money into one big savings. Instead of trying to create a complicated savings plan or a complicated plan to get out of debt, chip away at one area first before moving onto another.

Own Your Mistakes

Owning your mistakes is another tip Jobs has often given to people seeking advice. Failure is not always something to be ashamed about. Sometimes you need to own up to your mistakes so you can learn from them. For instance, if you’ve made poor spending decisions or have spent your entire savings account, don’t blame anyone else for this fact. Take ownership of your mistake and find a solution to fix the problem.

Make Tough Decisions

Lastly, Jobs has always advocated for making tough decisions. Success doesn’t come overnight and sometimes tough decisions are the only ones that matter in the end. Most financial decisions are tough decisions, but they’re usually necessary decisions. Don’t be afraid to make them.

Time is More Valuable than Money

It may seem somewhat ironic coming from someone who helped produce gadgets that everyone thought that they must have, but Jobs was clear that what is most important doesn’t cost anything. As he said, “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” In this sense, money is nothing more than a resource toward other means. If you think that money in itself will make you happy, you have the equation all wrong.

The $500 Mistake

11 Steve Jobs Money Tips Everyone Should Follow