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This question came about the other day whilst I was talking to a friend of mine about career options. She made the point of saying that she doesn't really care if she makes a lot of money or not so long as she has enough to survive and can live her life to the fullest, or what she perceives as the fullest. The questions this raises to me are simple, is it better to focus our lives on interests than to stockpile money? Do the rich and poor die as equals? After all, we don't get to bring cash with us and the afterlife doesn't support debit.
At first thought to me, it seems clear that it is better to have fun and make the most of your short time on this Earth than to save constantly and always worry about money. Then I thought more about it, maybe it's not so much about what we take with us and is more about what we have whilst we are here. Whilst it is true that death is inevitable regardless of your bank account I think the idea that we die as equals is way off the mark.
Let's look at the first point I made, maybe it's about what we have whilst we are here. I can understand wanting to throw financial caution and worry to the wind to just have fun with your life but I don't think that's as plausible an idea as some seem to think. The most obvious reason being that the majority of hobbies people seek to undertake are in reality big industries. That means they cost money to participate in so that the industry can prosper. So depending on what you like to do, it might even be possible to live like that. You can say that you only need to make enough to survive and enjoy yourself, but that cost can vary widely between people and that leaves you no stability. You can't support a family and if things go bad you have no savings to fall back on. Besides, if you have money you have access to better medical treatment and may not only live longer but be comfortable in your death bed.
Onto the second point, perhaps "you can't take it with you when you go" is a selfish outlook on life. You may not benefit from your finances after your death but the family you leave behind will have to pay for all sorts of fees just related to your death. It's possibly kinder to make sure you have money stashed away so that you can more or less pay for your own funeral and if you're lucky leave some spare funds for future generations to prosper from.
In conclusion, I do want to make sure I have financially stability and I do want my future children to be able to cope with things financially after my eventual death (okay also I want the comfort and ability to spend more on my dance, sue me). Still, I can really get that if you spend all your time working hard and conserving funds you might struggle to enjoy your hobbies. I think moderation is the key. Rather than gravitate to one extreme or the other, it's an idea to open a savings account and simply stash away a small part of your income, spending only what you need to survive and enjoy your life. There's no point in being crazy about your money, who wants to live like that? But if you do want to enjoy your life and leave behind a positive legacy when you die it's always a good idea to keep that little bit extra aside.
Do you think I'm right? Do you have anything from this entry that you agree/disagree with? What do you do with your money? Share it all in the comments below.
Note: I'm just leaving this here to apologise for the large number of edits and to let you know that the content has remained unchained. I am still experimenting a bit with style which is why the look of this post has been changed so many times. -Gimmepie
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Philosophy Cobbler
You Can't Take It With You When You Go
You Can't Take It With You When You Go
This question came about the other day whilst I was talking to a friend of mine about career options. She made the point of saying that she doesn't really care if she makes a lot of money or not so long as she has enough to survive and can live her life to the fullest, or what she perceives as the fullest. The questions this raises to me are simple, is it better to focus our lives on interests than to stockpile money? Do the rich and poor die as equals? After all, we don't get to bring cash with us and the afterlife doesn't support debit.
At first thought to me, it seems clear that it is better to have fun and make the most of your short time on this Earth than to save constantly and always worry about money. Then I thought more about it, maybe it's not so much about what we take with us and is more about what we have whilst we are here. Whilst it is true that death is inevitable regardless of your bank account I think the idea that we die as equals is way off the mark.
Let's look at the first point I made, maybe it's about what we have whilst we are here. I can understand wanting to throw financial caution and worry to the wind to just have fun with your life but I don't think that's as plausible an idea as some seem to think. The most obvious reason being that the majority of hobbies people seek to undertake are in reality big industries. That means they cost money to participate in so that the industry can prosper. So depending on what you like to do, it might even be possible to live like that. You can say that you only need to make enough to survive and enjoy yourself, but that cost can vary widely between people and that leaves you no stability. You can't support a family and if things go bad you have no savings to fall back on. Besides, if you have money you have access to better medical treatment and may not only live longer but be comfortable in your death bed.
Onto the second point, perhaps "you can't take it with you when you go" is a selfish outlook on life. You may not benefit from your finances after your death but the family you leave behind will have to pay for all sorts of fees just related to your death. It's possibly kinder to make sure you have money stashed away so that you can more or less pay for your own funeral and if you're lucky leave some spare funds for future generations to prosper from.
In conclusion, I do want to make sure I have financially stability and I do want my future children to be able to cope with things financially after my eventual death (okay also I want the comfort and ability to spend more on my dance, sue me). Still, I can really get that if you spend all your time working hard and conserving funds you might struggle to enjoy your hobbies. I think moderation is the key. Rather than gravitate to one extreme or the other, it's an idea to open a savings account and simply stash away a small part of your income, spending only what you need to survive and enjoy your life. There's no point in being crazy about your money, who wants to live like that? But if you do want to enjoy your life and leave behind a positive legacy when you die it's always a good idea to keep that little bit extra aside.
Do you think I'm right? Do you have anything from this entry that you agree/disagree with? What do you do with your money? Share it all in the comments below.
Note: I'm just leaving this here to apologise for the large number of edits and to let you know that the content has remained unchained. I am still experimenting a bit with style which is why the look of this post has been changed so many times. -Gimmepie
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