Money

MONEY

 

How much

Is good enough

 

How much

Do I really need

 

I've been saving

A good part of my life

Now I can spend

 

How much money

is good enough to

Spend and to save

 

 

I have developed a habit of saving money a good part of my life. It has been beneficial. Cars, house and all of my "things" are paid for and there is enough  for my retirement years.

 

However, when it comes to spending "savings" I often feel I am doing something "wrong". It goes against the habit I have evolved for many years. It is time for a new habit but it is hard to establish it.

 

Recently in a counseling session I worked with an older couple who were trying to decide whether they could afford to make a significant purchase for their garden. They had been saving almost 50 years together and accummulated plenty of money for their retirement years. But spending money was simply not a habit for them. Clearly they had money to spend but now were handicapped by their habit of always putting money away. It was clear to me and them that they needed a new habit and I believe I do too.

 

In contrast, some people have the opposite habit of spending and not saving. They too need to develop new habits in order to manage their financial lives effectively. It is all about balance.