Why should we care about money?
Money is present in our life whether we want it or not. The good part is that it doesn't need to be hard.
Regardless of their situation, everyone needs to think and care about money. Money is ingrained in our lives because we live in a capitalist society.
Money is the simplest, most efficient way to exchange goods and services. What does this mean? Let's give an example. If you wake up hungry in the morning (or the middle of the night for those night owls out there), you will not go on a pig hunt to get your bacon. If you were to do that, you would probably do that for days on that journey, and it would be highly inefficient to get your bacon, let alone a full breakfast with eggs, milk, coffee, etc. Unless you are a hunter, you will find this enjoyable and something that makes living on Earth worthwhile.
What we are more used to is spending time working on something we are good at and getting paid a salary, and then with that money, we get what we need to live the best life we can afford. This covers most of us; there are many scenarios, but let's continue with this example to keep it simple.
It seems simple enough. Right? So why do I need to care about money? ... because one of the bits of the last paragraph: "...to live the best life we can afford." sounds straightforward and logical. I work, I get paid, and I spend it. All is good if those things balance out, but if one of those gets a bit out of whack, we are in for life struggle.
See, life gets in the way and puts us in many different situations, sometimes good ones, like last-minute vacation plans with friends and family that we cannot miss, and sometimes bad ones, like an illness that confines us to a bed. Those two situations most likely will involve money, and if we are not prepared for those, our simple: "I work, I get paid, and I spend it." is no longer that simple. Why? Because we spent a bit more, you will need to work a bit more to get paid more and get back to hopefully balance the equation. But then all of a sudden, we find ourselves working a lot more to afford more, and eventually, we run out of time or energy to keep up, and we start to feel bad about where we are, which stresses us and that in turn makes sick and the whole down spiral cycle repeats and just get worst.
Well, if you relate a tiny bit to this, you are not alone. We want our lives to be an enjoyable journey, and we want to spend our time and money on the things we love worry-free. It just takes a few minor changes that, with some time, will compound on the life you deserve. But spoiler alert, there are no get-rich schemes that work. I would like you to join me while I share my personal finance approach to financial independence.
