Careful, Cashed-Up, Content: Achieving The Right Balance

For many people, achieving financial stability is a huge goal and one that dominates a lot of our mind space. Unless we’re very lucky and earn big bucks, the chances are that, the path to achieving good financial health is a long one that involves a lot of hard work and a fair bit of discipline. While it’s a great thing, I suspect that sometimes we get caught up in the routine of being frugal and careful, and forget to allow for a proper balance. After all, there’s no point saving for a future if we can’t enjoy our present. Here are some thoughts, drawn from the wide world of wisdom, the Internet.

Money For Opportunity

So often, I seem to write about saving money for the inevitable when. When I buy a house. When I retire. When I will start investing. But that shouldn’t be the entire picture. Being careful with money should allow us to spend it on things we really love, and invest in our passions as much as invest in our futures. Frugality might be sometimes about saying no to things- but that restraint is as much about allowing us the opportunity to say yes to important things. The great part? You get to choose what’s important, and no one can tell you it’s wrong. In 2012, it might be time for us to reconfigure how we think about finances and stop spending time solely in the future.

Time Rich

We tend to spend a lot of time thinking about our finances, but how much of it is actually helping us improve them? I can check my bank balance ten times a day, but not much changes in that period of time. Experts suggest improving the balance in our lives is as much about recognising time-wasting activities we do unconsciously and reorganising our approach. Instead of tossing and turning all night, thinking about your credit card bill, set up a repayment plan, check it once a week and leave it at that. Use the time to reorganise your receipts, or turn a hobby you love into a second source of income- you’ll feel better, and the time will be put to better use.

Errands

Having a balanced life is as much about our ability to choose and prioritise as it is about the the hours in the day. If you despise gardening and it takes a lot of your time, invest some money in having someone else do it. Yes, it’s an extra cost but it’ll improve your quality of life and give you some extra hours to get on top of some errands you don’t mind so much. Experts suggest swapping errands with your friends. Babysit their kids for a couple of hours, swap some home-cooked meals for some gift wrapping or DIY work around the house. It won’t cost you anything, and everyone will be able to spend more time on things they enjoy.

Get Moving, Get Relaxed

It might seem, in a jam-packed schedule, that exercise is the last thing you feel like doing. That may be the case, and it might seem like a waste of time, but the effect on the rest of your day will ultimately save you time and make you more productive. On days when I don’t get to the gym, often in an attempt to save time, I work less quickly and can’t concentrate as well. The same goes with relaxation. Finding five minutes every day to meditate is barely a time-detraction and it might allow you to properly enjoy and use the other hours of the day.

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