Recently my niece’s 21 year old friend died in a car accident and my niece mentioned that he had already lived life to the fullest. He had inherited $120,000.00 and imediately started living like a king. He had no regrets, and as fate had it, he got to enjoy his money just in time. People remember what he did with his money and now smile. He enjoyed himself.

Now I am thinking, what if I died tomorrow? Would I have any regrets about being strict with my money and not living the full life I could. Of course it’s not that serious but I cannot help but ask the question. Am I living life to the fullest or I am caught up in the day to day need for money? Should I be spending my money more freely if I need to, or should I still save it for a rainy day.

Why should you save money?

• We should save money for the just incase as the economy is unstable.
• We should save money because it is hard to earn.
• We should save money because money breeds money.

Why should you spend money?

• You might die tommorrow and you cannot take it with you.
• You might miss out on some great experiences.
• Money is the be all and end all of life.

Will spending or saving money make you happy?

This is a questions I often ask myself. Should we be spending money and having a bit of fun, as we work hard for it, or should we be saving it? Everything costs so much money now days. Even to give your family a simple camping holiday is not cheap any more. Really what can you do? Just simple living costs probably take all of your money anyway. Are we in a catch 22?

It’s all too complicated I hope I haven’t confused you.

Have you got a 106cm High Definition Flat Screen TV, or a car that costs half as much as a house. How many Televisions have you got and do you even know? Does your mobile phone take pictures, play music, and browse the internet? Well if your last name isn’t Jones, then why are you trying to keep up with them???

Have you ever stopped and thought about all of these needless possessions and conjured up a genuine reason why you have them? My theory is if you associate the word need with an item, it justifies the copious amount of money you just spent on it. I am constantly reminded about my spending’s and possessions as my mother was born in 1934 when these items were not available. She always says “We never had that when I was young. And we survived.” It would be great to be able to go in the back yard and gather your vegies, kill Betsy the chook, and cook dinner. Not me though. The very thought of killing something to eat makes me cringe with horror. I couldn’t eat that, but will happily buy one from the local butcher. And I do not want to know the details of how he got it to look that way. 

Mums generation learnt to be careful with money, whereas my generation throws it away. Some of my nephews and nieces are travelling down the fast lane quicker than I ever did. They are in the under 30 bracket, but have the Flat screen LCD TV, the flash car, and the fancy mobile phone. Sometimes I wonder if they are keeping up with the Joneses or is it just in their blood. They have been bought up with having everything and now its turned into a necessity. Can they even live without a gadget in their pocket or at least in close range. What happened to working your way up to all of this. 

Keeping up with the Joneses isn’t always as easy as it used to be. Everyone already has everything. Now its just a matter of how big or fast yours goes. My simple word of advice, and I am sure my mother would agree, is to hold onto your pennies because you may need them for that rainy day. Forget about the Joneses, and trying to keep up with them, because they are probably in debt up to their ears…

Think about things before you buy them. Ask yourself a few questions first. Why am I buying this product? Do I need it and why? Can I make do without it? Learn to distinguish between your needs and wants and do not buy something because your neighbour, Mr Jones has it. Even though you may be jealous about the new 30ft swimming pool or the mini home cinema, remember that these posessions will not bring you happiness. 

Comic By Gary Varvel
From the Cartoonist Group.