海角大神

Right now, I am in (arguably) the best financial shape of my life. I鈥檝e paid off all of my debts except for my mortgage and I鈥檝e got a healthy amount in savings as well. Each month, I鈥檓 bringing in more than I鈥檓 spending.

Many families in this situation might find themselves eyeing more expensive things. Why not go to the nicer restaurant? Why not buy that thing you鈥檝e had an eye on? Why not go on an expensive vacation?

I call this the 鈥渞ich act,鈥� and it鈥檚 usually a no-win proposition. I know from experience how it can end up costing you desperately. When I was a young professional, enjoying the largest amount of income I鈥檇 ever known, I played the 鈥渞ich act.鈥� I bought expensive things. I went to expensive restaurants. I went on expensive trips.

The worst consequence of that 鈥渞ich act鈥� was that I wound up in financial trouble. As I accelerated my lifestyle, it became very easy to accelerate it more and more until I found myself outstripping what I was actually earning.

Beyond that, though, I stopped enjoying many of the simple things I鈥檇 enjoyed my whole life. This turned out to be the worst consequence of all.

For example, I took the 鈥渞ich act鈥� into food. I didn鈥檛 make much food at home and, when I did, I was constantly trying to make something 鈥渁mazing.鈥� On the other hand, back in the old days, I would be extremely happy with a bowl of simple soup and a simple sandwich 鈥� delicious, quick, inexpensive comfort food.

Another example: I took the 鈥渞ich act鈥� into my enjoyment of music. Rather than really enjoying an album and listening to it dozens of times (as I did in college), I鈥檇 buy CDs, listen to them once, and then move on to another one. Rather than enjoying the music, I enjoyed being a music snob and a collector.

That 鈥渞ich act鈥� not only cost me financially, but it took me away from many things that I enjoyed when I wasn鈥檛 affluent. Those things didn鈥檛 change at all: the enjoyment of listening to a familiar album and discovering more of the subtleties, the challenge of reading a difficult book, the pleasure of a simple meal made at home, the joy of eating a meal at an old familiar restaurant, and so on.

Today, I find myself spending time on the things that I spent time on when I wasn鈥檛 making a cent. I鈥檒l spend a few hours reading an engrossing or challenging book from the library. I鈥檒l make a great meal with ingredients that only cost a few dollars. I鈥檒l put a familiar album on the stereo and let the music chase me around the house as I clean. I鈥檒l go for a walk in the bright sun and enjoy the fresh air. I鈥檒l play an old familiar board game with an old familiar friend. I鈥檒l spend my summer 鈥渧acation鈥� staying at someone鈥檚 house or pitching a tent in a state park.

Just because you make $100,000 a year doesn鈥檛 mean that the things that brought you pleasure when you made peanuts stop bringing you pleasure. Don鈥檛 walk away from the meals you loved, the old friends you鈥檝e made, the dive restaurants you鈥檝e enjoyed, or the simple pleasures that you could dive deeply into.

Money doesn鈥檛 change who you are or what you enjoy. If you allow it to do so, you end up feeling empty and trapped. If you feel like you鈥檝e lost touch with those earlier pleasures, make an effort to get right back in touch with them.

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