Last Updated on 07/18/2023 by Glynn Willard
Being debt free far outweighs the benefits of having stuff! We learned this early in our last reset.
And we didn’t even carry much debt when we decided to reset our lives, only a mortgage.
But we made the mistake of buying a house that required a great deal of upkeep.
In other words, it was really expensive every month.
I still ask myself why I thought that was okay.
The joy never outweighed the expense (at least for me).
Look At Money Differently
This article is not about shortcuts to amassing wealth or eliminating debt.
Instead, this component is about spending some time on learning to look at money differently.
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- Prioritize living within your means, period.
The stress of debt can totally sideline your ability to master your thoughts no differently than an illness.A luxury should never take you outside your financial comfort zone. Debt is only to be used as a way to leverage additional assets.
And please note, an asset is only something that makes you money passively.
During this last reset, we got in the habit of setting our budget before partaking in any entertainment, dining out or shopping.
Sometimes to the point where I would only take that amount of cash. It worked!
We always enjoyed ourselves and quickly forgot about “a thing” we would have purchased in the past.
We were making great memories!
And I’m not talking about maintaining a “scarcity” mindset, but rather a smart mindset.
- Prioritize living within your means, period.
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- I want you to see money as a tool to free your time rather than a means to more stuff.
How Should You Use Your Money?
Your possessions are liabilities that can end up owning you.
Let’s look at two scenarios for a hypothetical character.
We’ll call him Raul (fun name). Raul has a choice.
He can spend $5000 on a new mountain bike that will bring him a lot of pleasure.
He already has a mountain bike, but his riding companions have full suspension, etc. He does not.
Is it justifiable, since he’ll use it? Absolutely! Is it necessary to ride with his friends? No.
Raul also has an opportunity to spend $5000 on a high level IT certification course that will make him very valuable to his employer.
If he takes the course, he’ll not only make more money, but he will likely be able to work more efficiently and have more time.
Using that money as a tool to acquire more time and money is a wise way to perceive money.
He can even one up that by putting the money toward the down payment of a small rental unit.
Now he’s truly leveraged his money and credit to create future wealth.
I experienced a similar situation with our business, Paradigm Fitness on many occasions.
I could take additional dividends as an owner and use the money for whatever I liked or I could reinvest it in the business.
More precisely, I could invest $5000 in a marketing campaign that easily brings in an additional 2k of revenue a month indefinitely.
Do the math. It’s a no brainer. It’s this perception of money that has made our “resets” more successful and meaningful.
Wrapping Up Your Financial Fitness
Financial fitness allows for a day like this to happen mid-week.
There are two very different takeaways for you.
- Always live within your financial means, period!
- See your money as a tool or resource to acquire more money.
You’ll know when you’re making enough money to enjoy more luxuries.
The key is those luxuries will not drive you into debt or tap into your money set aside for financial growth.
Financial freedom is a powerful and wonderful feeling!
How have you mastered your financial fitness?
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