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10 Important Things Money Can’t Buy

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things money cant buy
We talk a lot about money: How to get it, how to spend it, where to spend it, and how to save it. For all the time we devote to talking about, worrying about, and dealing with money, you’d think it was the most important thing in the world. If the time spent obsessing about money truly equated to its worth, there would be nothing you couldn’t do or have without money. Money would be the only thing that mattered. But is money really as valuable as our obsession level leads us to believe?

Money Can’t Buy Everything

Money is important, obviously. Without it we’d have no roof over our heads, food in our bellies or clothes on our backs. Money allows us to do and have more things than we can without it. It’s a means to an end. But, for all that money is useful and good to have around, for all that it can buy, there are quite a few things that it can’t buy. Even if you have millions of dollars, there are some things you’ll never have with money alone. So what can’t money buy? Here’s 10.

1. Lost Time

Money cannot buy back lost time. As each day passes, it is lost and you can never get it back. When you miss that chance to say, “I love you,” to someone special, or you tell your kids, “Not now, I have to work,” that opportunity is gone. No amount of money that you make in the future will get that day, that moment, back.

2. Happiness

It’s a cliche that money can’t buy happiness, but it’s also true. It can buy you some fun and fleeting joy-a cool vacation, a big TV, a fast car-but it can’t buy the true happiness that comes from liking yourself, having stable relationships, and good a familial support system.

3. Happy, Well-Adjusted Kids

Money can buy your kids a lot of clothes, toys, and gizmos, but it can’t turn them into secure, responsible, well-mannered, intelligent people. That only comes from the time you spend with them and the things you teach them. Money might help with some aspects of parenting, but it’s been proven many times that kids, once their basic needs are met, benefit more from parents spending time with them than the amount of money spent on them.

4. Love

It’s another cliche that money can’t buy love, but a true one. Money can buy initial attraction or even lust, but “true” love comes from mutual respect, caring for each other, sharing experiences, and growing together. There’s a reason that people who marry only for money rarely end up happy. Love at it’s best functions regardless of whether you have a lot of money or very little.

5. Acceptance

True, you can buy things that make you fit in-the latest cars, clothes, shoes, or electronics — but these things don’t represent true acceptance. If you really want your peers to accept you (beyond high school where a pair of shoes really does make you part of the in crowd), you’d do better to focus your energies on making yourself valuable to those around you. Being a good friend, a kind and helpful person, and someone who excels at what they do will go further in gaining acceptance than the stuff money can buy.

6. Health

Money can buy healthcare and medicine, but it cannot replace health once it’s lost. It’s far better to take preventative action such as watching what you eat, exercising, not smoking, and getting regular physicals than to rely on money to save you once your body has started to fail you. Money also can’t buy back your youth. No amount of money you make in the future will replace those days when your body could do anything easily and look good doing it. You can spend thousands on “treatments” to preserve your youth, but it’s an illusion. Once your youth is gone, no amount of money will get it back.

7. Success

Some people succeed by being slimy and paying/bribing their way to the top. But these are the exceptions, and I would hope you wouldn’t aspire to that. Success comes from hard work, applying your gifts in the best way possible, and paying your dues to move ahead in the world. There is very little that money can buy you to help you succeed. It might be able to buy you some training or equipment, but the majority of your success is determined by the work you put in, not the money you spend.

8. Talent

People are born with certain talents. Money can certainly nurture a talent. You can buy music lessons or coaching sessions to nurture your talents, but money cannot buy a talent. You can learn to do certain things well — I’ve learned to play the piano after years of lessons — but you can’t buy the true gift to do it well. Even after years of lessons, I don’t have the ability to make the piano truly sing, whereas others in my family have had that talent from birth.

9. Class/Manners

There are plenty of rich people who are rude and crude and plenty of poor people who demonstrate perfect manners and respect for others. And vice-versa. The amount of money you have doesn’t determine whether you behave well or poorly. You can’t buy manners and classy behavior; parents and family members who want to see their offspring behave well in society teach and practice it at all levels of society. Money doesn’t confer good behavior. Money can buy you entry into a better class position, but it cannot make you behave with class.

10. Peace

If money could buy peace, I think we’d be there by now. Think of the amount of money that governments have spent over the years in the name of “peace.” Has it worked? Nope. Peace isn’t something you buy. I think peace only comes from acting fairly, humanely, and treating others (people and countries) as we would want to be treated. And even then, it might not be possible. But for sure money won’t buy it.

Considering What’s Really Important

I’m not suggesting you give up the pursuit of money and go on some monastic quest for deeper meaning. It is important to manage your money well, to educate yourself about money, and earn enough to secure your financial future. However, it pays to stop and think every now and then about the things you would still have even if you didn’t have money. How much money you have doesn’t determine your family, your health, and your gifts and abilities. There are things that no amount of money can buy and it’s worthwhile to pursue them even as you worry about money. Money is important, but maybe it’s not the most important thing in the world.

Is there anything else money can’t buy? Share with us in the comments below!

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(Photo Credit: Flicker.com/Photo4jenifer)

Why You Should Skip Making New Year’s Resolutions

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making new year's resolutions
It’s that time of the year again. My guess is that you’re beginning to think about putting together a list of New Year’s resolutions if you haven’t already begun to do so. If you have started and you’re planning to make some this year, I think you should consider skipping them. That’s right. Don’t even bother making them. Take a stand and boycott the whole tradition. Refuse to get suckered into a yearly game that gives the impression that it’ll help you do the things you want, but actually does you more harm than good. How do New Year’s Resolutions hurt? Let me explain the ways:

They’re a Delay Tactic

First and foremost, these resolutions are nothing more than a delay tactic. They’re an easy way to delay something that you know you should start the moment you think about it instead of waiting until the beginning of the year. Think about it. If it’s important enough that you want to make the change and resolve to do so, shouldn’t it be important enough to begin right that moment? Instead, you’ll wait until the New Year. I believe that if something is important enough to make as a New Year’s Resolution, then it’s something that’s important enough to begin working towards the minute you decide it’s that important. Learn to begin goals immediately. Once you have decided the change you want to make, commit to begin planning how to reach the goal starting that day rather than delaying them to some arbitrary date in the future.

There’s Too Easy an Out

Even worse than the delay, these resolutions provide you with an easy cop-out which allows you to quit and not feel bad about it. The problem is that most people never follow through with the New Year’s Resolutions they make, and everyone knows it. The result is that nobody will hold you to any resolutions you make because they don’t expect you to keep them. At the first sign of difficulty, you’re in an easy position to give up and nobody will say a thing. It’s different if you make solid goals and announce them to friends and family. In this case, they are much more likely to ask about the goals and try to hold you to them. This is especially true if you ask for friends and family to support you in trying to reach them. When you do this, it makes it much more difficult to quit, and you’re more likely to work through those difficult stretches than if you simply make a resolution.

There’s a Lack of Preparation

Another problem with resolutions made at the beginning of the New Year is that they are often made without the proper preparation needed to succeed. The fact is, making successful changes to your life requires a lot of work, stamina and discipline. If you don’t do the initial research and preparations to make sure that your resolution succeeds, you’ll likely never achieve it. Most New Year’s Resolutions are simply statements made without any of the proper planning in place which makes them much more likely to fail.

They’re Too Broad

When the proper planning hasn’t been done, the resolutions people make are often unrealistic because they’re so broad. Achieving goals isn’t instantaneous. You don’t get to the top of a mountain in a single step. It takes a lot of planning, effort and small steps along the way. No matter how much you wish, you aren’t going to be able to wipe out all the credit card debt which has been building for years in a couple of months. You’ll need to work at it one step at a time, chipping away at each of the debts that need to be retired. If the resolution remains broad without any focus on the important steps needed to reach the ultimate goal, the resolution will almost always end in failure.

They’re Often Absolute

Another problem is that these resolutions tend to be absolute with little to no room for the obstacles that are bound to happen. This makes giving them up easy the first time an obstacle arises, since they’re often made as “all or nothing” statements where any deviation means you fail. Life, unfortunately, often deals a number of setbacks on the way to reaching a goal. If there is no recourse on how to proceed when an obstacle occurs, then the goal will likely be abandoned. For example, if the resolution is “I will save $100 a month,” then failing to save a $100 any month can be seen as a failure. If, however, you make a goal to save $1200 with an average of $100 a month, it doesn’t matter if you only save $80 in January as you can make up for it by saving $120 in February.

They’re Made for Wrong Reasons

Too many New Year’s Resolutions are simply made for the wrong reasons. If you’re 100% committed to accomplishing something, then it is a goal worth pursuing. If you are making a resolution because it’s something that you would like to change, but aren’t willing to put in the time and effort needed to make it happen, then it’s going to fail. For many, New Year’s Resolutions are nothing more than things they wished they could change without having to make any effort. In order to succeed, you’ll need the passion that will only come from you firmly wanting to reach the goal. If you aren’t, it’s better not to make it until you’re ready.

It’s Bad Timing

January is a terrible time to start your resolutions. Granted, there will likely never be a perfect time to begin, but the New Year can be one of the worst times to be making major changes. You’re tired after the holidays. Instead of resting, you make drastic changes when you may not have the physical or psychological energy to make them work. Piling on resolutions with all of the other issues that need to be dealt with at the beginning of the New Year can make it that much harder for them to succeed.

There are Too Many Made

This leads to another major problem which is that people make too many resolutions all at the same time. Achieving the goal of getting your finances in order is a monumental task in itself, but making it work while losing 20 pounds, exercising an extra 2 hours a day, reorganizing your house and quitting smoking makes success impossible. It’s important to prioritize your goals and work on them as time permits rather than mixing them all together at the beginning of the New Year.

They Have a Negative Impact

Over time, New Year’s Resolutions have a negative impact on your motivation and success. When you make resolutions year after year and the resolutions fail year after year, it becomes easy to believe that they can’t be accomplished. These failures at the beginning of each year compile to the point where it’s easy to simply give up on your goals entirely after a while.

They Don’t Work

In the end, New Year’s Resolutions simply don’t work. They are far too often made without the commitment needed for them to work. If you have goals, take the proper steps to do your research, set up a step by step plan, measure your progress, understand there will be setbacks, and make sure that you truly achieve what you set out to accomplish.

Here is a challenge you aren’t likely to see much at this time of year. I challenge you to not to make any New Year’s Resolutions for 2014. Instead, take the most important goals and begin laying the groundwork on how you can achieve them this very minute. That way when 2015 arrives, instead of rehashing the same list you are currently thinking about, you will be checking off a list of goals that you managed to accomplish during the year

(Photo courtesy of Jennuine Captures)

Ten Things Money Can’t Buy

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money can't buy love
We talk a lot about money: How to get it, how to spend it, where to spend it, and how to save it. For all the time we devote to talking about, worrying about, and dealing with money, you’d think it was the most important thing in the world. If the time spent obsessing about money truly equated to its worth, then there would be nothing that you couldn’t do or have without money. Money would be the only thing that mattered. But is money really as valuable as our obsession level leads us to believe?

Money is important, obviously. Without it we’d have no roof over our heads, food in our bellies or clothes on our backs. Money allows us to do and have more things than we can without it. It’s a means to an end. But, for all that money is useful and good to have around, for all that it can buy, there are quite a few things that it can’t buy. Even if you have millions of dollars, there are some things that you’ll never have with money alone. So what can’t money buy? Read on.

Lost time

Money cannot buy back lost time. As each day passes, it is lost and you can never get it back. When you miss that chance to say, “I love you,” to someone special, or you tell your kids, “Not now, I have to work,” that opportunity is gone. No amount of money that you make in the future will get that day, that moment, back.

Happiness

It’s a cliche that money can’t buy happiness, but it’s also true. It can buy you some fun and fleeting joy-a cool vacation, a big TV, a fast car-but it can’t buy the true happiness that comes from liking yourself, having stable relationships, and good a familial support system.

Happy, well adjusted kids

Money can buy your kids a lot of clothes, toys and gizmos, but it can’t turn them into secure, responsible, well-mannered, intelligent people. That only comes from the time you spend with them and the things you teach them. Money might be able to help with some aspects of parenting but it’s been proven many times that kids, once their basic needs are met, benefit more from parents spending time with them than the amount of money spent on them.

Love

It’s another cliche that money can’t buy love, but a true one. Money can buy initial attraction or even lust, but “true” love comes from mutual respect, caring for each other, sharing experiences, and growing together. There’s a reason that people who marry only for money rarely end up happy. Love at it’s best functions regardless of whether you have a lot of money or very little.

Acceptance

True, you can buy things that make you fit in-the latest cars, clothes, shoes, or electronics-but these things don’t represent true acceptance. If you really want to be accepted by your peers (beyond high school where a pair of shoes really does make you part of the in crowd), you’d do better to focus your energies on making yourself valuable to those around you. Being a good friend, a kind and helpful person, and someone who excels at what they do will go further to gain you acceptance than the stuff money can buy.

Health

Money can buy healthcare and medicine, but it cannot replace health once it’s lost. It’s far better to take preventative action such as watching what you eat, exercising, not smoking, and getting regular physicals than to rely on money to save you once your body has started to fail you. Money also can’t buy back your youth. No amount of money you make in the future will replace those days when your body could do anything easily and look good doing it. You can spend thousands on “treatments” to preserve your youth, but it’s an illusion. Once your youth is gone, no amount of money will get it back.

Success

Some people succeed by being slimy and paying/bribing their way to the top. But these are the exception and I would hope you wouldn’t aspire to that. Success comes from hard work, applying your gifts in the best way possible, and paying your dues to move ahead in the world. There is very little that money can buy you to help you succeed. It might be able to buy you some training or equipment, but the majority of your success is determined by the work you put in, not the money you spend.

Talent

People are born with certain talents. Money can certainly nurture a talent. You can buy music lessons or coaching sessions to nurture your talents, but money cannot buy a talent. You can learn to do certain things well-I’ve learned to play the piano after years of lessons-but the true gift to do it well can’t be bought. Even after years of lessons, I don’t have the ability to make the piano truly sing, whereas others in my family have had that talent from birth.

Class/manners

There are plenty of rich people who are rude and crude and plenty of poor people who demonstrate perfect manners and respect for others. And vice-versa. The amount of money you have doesn’t determine whether you behave well or poorly. Manners and classy behavior are not bought, they are taught and practiced at all levels of society by parents and family members who want to see their offspring behave well in society. Money doesn’t confer good behavior. Money can buy you entry into a better class position, but it cannot make you behave with class.

Peace

If money could buy peace, I think we’d be there by now. Think of the amount of money that governments have spent over the years in the name of “peace.” Has it worked? Nope. Peace isn’t something you buy. I think peace only comes from acting fairly, humanely, and treating others (people and countries) as we would want to be treated. And even then, it might not be possible. But for sure money won’t buy it.

I’m not suggesting that you give up the pursuit of money and go on some monastic quest for deeper meaning. It is important to manage your money well, to educate yourself about money, and earn enough to secure your financial future. However, it pays to stop and think every now and then about the things you would still have even if you didn’t have money. Your family, your health, and your gifts and abilities aren’t determined by how much money you have. There are things that no amount of money can buy and it’s worthwhile to pursue them even as you worry about money. Money is important, but maybe it’s not the most important thing in the world.

(Photo courtesy of Photo4jenifer)

15 Important Things Money Can’t Buy

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There are many things that money can buy, but also a lot of things money can't buy
Money could easily be considered one of the most consuming aspects of our lives. We are constantly worrying about money issues: how to earn it, where to spend it, how to spend it and how to save it. Considering how much time and effort is spent worrying, talking and dealing with money, you might think that there is nothing else more important in the world. In fact, if the time that we spend consumed by monetary issues were a true indication of its value, then you would not be able to have anything or do anything without money. It would be the only thing in the world that mattered. The question is whether or not money is really as valuable as we are led to believe by this obsession. For some, it’s not.

Obviously, money is important. Without it we would not be able to provide ourselves with the basic amenities of life: food, shelter, clothing, and so on. Money allows us to live more comfortable and luxurious lives than we would be able to without it. However, for everything that money can allow us to do and is useful, there are still several things that can’t be bought with it. No matter how much money you have, there are still things that it cannot provide. Here are some things money can’t buy:

Respect

Respect is earned through the way you act and the person you are. It’s not something that can be purchased with money. There are plenty of people who don’t have much money who have the respect of all the people they know, and there are also wealthy people who find there are few, if any, people who respect them due to the people they are. It’s one thing that must be earned, and anyone who tried to buy it would likely instantly lose it.

Inner Beauty

A person’s inner beauty is a reflection of their true self. No matter how much money you have, if you are mean spirited or a nasty person, that comes through. You can’t purchase your true self away. In the same respect, those with little material wealth can have an inner spirit that is generous beyond belief.

Common Sense

Common sense is a trait that can be developed, but some people just have more of it than others. Who has it and who doesn’t isn’t determined by the amount of money you have. In fact, having too much money can lead some to believe that common sense isn’t necessary or important, but they would be incorrect.

Acceptance

Unfortunately, it’s true that money can buy the things to make you fit in with the “in-crowd” such as clothes, shoes, electronics and the latest cars. However, having to buy certain items in order to be accepted by other people is not a true representation of real acceptance, and you can bet that as soon as the money runs out, so will your friends. The best way to find true acceptance is by focusing your efforts on being a good friend and a worthy person. Being someone who is kind and thoughtful (who excels at what you do) is much more likely to help you find those who value you as a friend, regardless of how much money you have.

Happiness

We have all heard the saying that, “Money can’t buy happiness.” Well, it’s true. Money can buy some temporary fun and joy, such as a cool car or vacation. It can also buy happiness in the form of relieving struggle. However, this is not true happiness. True happiness comes from having good friends and family, liking yourself, having stable relationships and enjoying the life that you lead. Just think of all the wealthy people who are still not happy with their lives. Yes, money can give you the means to enjoy the happiness you already have, but it can’t create that happiness. That comes from inside.

Health

While money can help you afford the best in healthcare, treatment and medicine, it can’t give you good health once it is gone. It’s much better to simply take good care of yourself by eating healthy, exercising regularly, avoiding cigarettes and drugs, and visiting your doctor on a regular basis. Once your health has started to decline, money can only help you so much.

Youth

While you can spend amazing amounts of money to try and look younger than you actually are, this is only an illusion. Once your youth is gone, no amount of money can buy it back. No matter how much money you have, those days when you were full of energy and your body could easily do any task (and look good while doing it) are gone.

Lost Time

Once time has passed, there is absolutely no way to get it back again. As each day passes, it is gone forever. When you miss the opportunity to tell someone important “I love you” or to play with your kids while they are young, that chance is gone forever. No matter how much money you have, you can never get that moment back.

Love

It is another common saying that “money can’t buy love,” and it’s true. Money may buy attraction at first, or lust. However, those who marry for money alone are rarely happy in love. True love can only be found in a relationship built upon mutual respect, care, trust, shared experiences and growing both together and individually. Real love does not care whether you have a lot of money or a little, it still works at its best.

Manners

Manners is another thing that can’t be bought. There are any number of poor people who show perfect manners, respect, and etiquette. There are also any number of rich people who are just crude and rude all the way around. Money does not determine how well or how poorly a person behaves. Manners are taught and practiced throughout all levels of society, regardless of rank or position. It’s taught by those who wish to see their children operate well in society.

Class

Much like manners, class is not something that can be purchased in itself. it’s something that has to be practiced within you as a being, and not something that comes with the amount of money you make. Even though money can buy your way into a better social status, it can’t help you behave with class.

Peace

Despite the fact that the government has spent spectacular amounts of money in the name of “world peace,” we have still not achieved it. Peace is not something that can be bought, but rather something that can only be established by acting humanely, treating others fairly, and being upright people.

Talent

Pretty much everyone in life has some sort of talent, that if nurtured could become a skill. However, true talent is not something that can be bought. Now, money can nurture a talent, such as by taking music lessons, but the skill and ability cannot be bought. Some have taken music lessons for years, and they still cannot truly conquer their instrument. People can take years of lessons to play an instrument that others can play naturally with talent.

Success

Money may be able to buy an education, equipment, or training for someone, however, this does not determine a person’s success. Success is determined by a person’s efforts. Success can only be found through dedicated effort, applying your gifts and talents, and working to move ahead in the world. So, even though money may be able to help you get started, it could never outright buy success.

Well-Adjusted Kids

Money is very helpful when it comes to raising children, it can provide a roof over their heads, food in their mouths, and toys to keep them happy and occupied. However, spending money on them does not replace spending time with their parents. It is a proven fact that children benefit from spending time with their parents more than they do from having a large amount of money spent on them. Spending time with your children and teaching them your values will give them a much better chance of becoming well-mannered, secure, intelligent, and responsible people than if you just throw material things their way.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Henrich)

Want to be Financially Successful? Read More than Personal Finance Books

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read different types of books for success

When most of us sit down to learn about personal finance, we head for the personal finance aisle of the bookstore or library (or the top personal finance websites). We read the books by Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, Jean Chatzky, David Bach, and the Bogleheads and think we’ve learned all there is to know about finance. This single-aisle approach is only a start, however.

I would argue that the people who are the most successful financially take an interdisciplinary approach to finance. That is, they don’t limit themselves to one aisle of the bookstore. They realize that many other subjects can be helpful in creating a sound approach to money. Since money affects nearly every aspect of our lives, it only makes sense that studying more than just finance would give us a clearer, bigger picture of the things that affect our money and the things we can do to change our fortunes. Those who take the time to educate themselves about a variety of subjects often understand money and opportunity better and thus give themselves more options. Here are some examples:

Health

Our physical health often dictates our financial health. If you’re unhealthy, expect to pay a lot more for doctors and medications than a healthy person. Studying the latest advances and theories in health and wellness (everything from weight loss to managing chronic conditions) can make you a more informed patient/consumer when it comes time to talk treatments and costs. More wellness knowledge also reduces your risks of long term health problems and an understanding of how to treat minor illnesses and injuries can save you some trips to the doctor.

Science

You wouldn’t think that science has much relationship to money. But, for example, think about what advances in chemistry could mean for drug manufacturers, which might impact your healthcare costs. Or think about how better understanding weather patterns could lead to better storm preparedness and prediction, and how those ideas might impact your insurance rates. These are just a couple of examples of how science can affect money.

Environment / Sustainability

Whether or not you believe in global warming/climate change, there is little doubt that issues surrounding resource depletion, commercial farming, overfishing, overpopulation, and pollution are going to impact our financial lives in the future. Learning how to make do with less and taking environmentally friendly actions (which often save you money), can help preserve your finances in the face of change. This also goes hand in hand with knowing more about science because many of the solutions for these problems are going to be science-based and the problems themselves require a basic scientific understanding to fully grasp.

Crafting / Gardening / DIY

The more you can make or do yourself, the less you’ll pay for others to do the work. If you can garden or craft, you’ll pay less than you would to buy commercial equivalents (and you might be able to sell your creations for extra cash). Most new skills can be easily learned and there are plenty of books available on everything from homesteading to building a deck to growing a window garden.

Philosophy

Many great philosophers have pondered money. Even those that haven’t directly addressed money have likely pondered the ethical and moral issues surrounding financial issues. You might be able to draw on their wisdom.

Religion

Most major religions address money and ethics. Knowing more about your own faith and the faiths of others can give you insight into how better to handle your money in accordance with religious teachings.

Biography / Memoir

Nothing is more motivating than seeing how someone else succeeded in life (or failed). The biographies you study don’t have to be about business tycoons or financial advisors. Politicians, world leaders, scientists, historical figures, military leaders, and artists can all teach us lessons about success, motivation, making do in tough times, and inspiration.

Politics

Laws are made every day that affect your finances so you want to understand the basics of the political process. If a negative change could affect you, you need to know about it and understand it so you can lobby your representatives for change and make the right changes to your budget.

History / World Events

World events (drought, war, etc.) change the prices of the goods we buy and where they come from. This helps when you need to know which markets to invest in, or which ones to exit. History can teach us many lessons about money (spending some time studying the Great Depression is an eye opener, for example). Even studying ancient history can give you some ideas about how to make do with less, or teach you about the economic influences involved in Rome’s collapse. It’s often said that people who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, so you might as well learn what our ancestors can teach us about money.

Business

Reading about successful business strategies may seem useless if you don’t have your own business, but what makes businesses successful can work on a smaller scale for a household. Motivating employees isn’t that different form motivating yourself, or motivating a reluctant spouse to get on board with your financial plan, for example. Becoming a more creative manager isn’t that different from becoming more creative in your cost cutting, budgeting, or deal seeking. If you have an independent streak, studying how to start your own business can pay off.

Career

Even if you’re not actively job seeking, spend some time reading up on what makes an employee valuable, or strategies for asking for a raise or other benefits. Or, read up on the latest interviewing and resume techniques just so you are better prepared if you get laid off.

Pet Care

If you can train your own pets, you won’t have to pay for classes. If you can groom your pet, you won’t have to pay a groomer. If you understand basic animal physiology and can treat/prevent minor illnesses and injuries, you’ll save money at the vet’s office. All of these things can be easily learned from books and websites.

Learning about actual finance is just one step on the journey to controlling and increasing your money. The more you know about the world around you and all the different subjects that are relevant to your money, the better prepared you become to seize opportunities and to recognize (or even start) trends that will affect your money.

(Photo courtesy of Darien Library)

Successful People Don’t Whine

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successful people

I’m always amazed when, in real life conversations or article comment trails about money related topics, someone inevitably says, “That [insert behavior that is not the norm] will never work for me. It simply cannot be done.” Either that or they quickly dismiss someone else’s success as the product of luck, incredible timing that can never be replicated, or some other gift sent down from the gods. Instead of examining what made a person successful, they choose to blind themselves to the options and opportunities that are available to them.

Choosing to be blind is easy. It’s very easy to sit back and disparage someone’s achievements, whether it’s early retirement, a comfortable lifestyle with no debt, or buying a home with cash. It’s certainly easier than doing the hard work of looking at another person’s lifestyle choices and seeing where yours may have prohibited you from reaching that level of success. And you certainly don’t want to put in the hard work required to match their achievements, so it’s best to just flop on the couch and refuse to see that you could do better.

Let’s say you’re looking at someone who successfully retired at age forty. It’s easy to whine about how lucky they were to work in an occupation that experienced a boom, or how they benefited from market timing, or how they never lost a job (or found one so quickly if they were laid off), or how their parents paid for their education, or how they got incredibly lucky to have invented the wonder widget, or even how fortunate they were to keep their expenses low during the recession so they could keep saving for retirement. What’s missing in all the whining is the work that went into the success.

Okay, the person might have had a job in a great industry. But they went to work everyday, did good work, kept the job, and probably got some promotions. That’s not all luck. And so what if the parents paid for an education? Granted, the person may have started out with less debt than someone who had to pay their own way but if they’re successful now, it’s because they used that education to its fullest. Any million dollar invention or business required a lot of work, probably more so than the guy working the corporate job. And if they managed to retire simply by keeping expenses low? That took work and creativity, as well. It’s not easy to be the guy who doesn’t have a TV subscription or a cell phone, or to eat at home every night instead of bar hopping.

But no one wants to look at the work, creativity, and sacrifices that go into success, much less try to replicate them for themselves. No one wants to admit that if they had made some better choices with money, worked a little harder, hustled more, made conscious choices to save more and spend less, or studied a little more that they could be in the same situation as their successful neighbor. Nope. It’s easier to put the blinders on and attribute someone else’s success to Fate because if you see what could be different, it puts a burden on you to change. And who wants that?

But imagine what would happen if you chose to see the work that went into that success. Even better, imagine what would happen if you tried to be more like this other person. What if, instead of saying how odd it is that Joe doesn’t have a TV, you ditched yours and used the time and money for more productive things? What if, instead of lamenting Joe’s good luck, you put in more quality hours at work (or into inventing that widget), learned some new skills, found ways to cut expenses, and generally improved your lot in life? What if, instead of dismissing Joe’s DIY lifestyle as impossible for you, you learned to tackle some projects on your own? Hmmm.

Take the blinders off and accept the challenge that comes with seeing how other people achieve success. See where you could do better with money. See how some other fantastic, creative, smart people live their lives and make their financial situations work. Many people with small incomes achieve success with money every day. It’s not just millionaires. They succeed because they see what others do not and then they change their actions accordingly.

(Photo courtesy of Seeker of Guidance)