“Isn’t that interesting” is an attitude I try to remember whenever I have strong feelings about something. When I look at life with curiosity instead of judgment I can stay open to consider other perspectives. One of my followers sent me his perspective of my recent Everyday Decisions blog. With his permission I’m sharing it because my perspective is just one of many to consider on the path to finding your own life with money.
“I liked this column a lot. If you keep track of every dime, they add up and then you are better able to make decisions about the priorities in your life. But this also takes me to my dissent or at least another angle on your anecdote. It stems from, “you can’t take it with you.”
You wanted to give your husband a fun evening at his favorite place with his favorite food and favorite people. $415? You got off easy! The event will be a lot more memorable for him than an average night at home with pizza. It was a celebration, after all, a special event. I think it is important to remember sometimes, that spending less is also a value, and not necessarily the best one in all circumstances. A lot of the time we can spend less, but also have less joy in life. I assume he could still afford his medication after the bill came in, and you weren’t getting evicted for lack of rent, and you could still get your coffee in the morning…
Being SO CONCERNED about money and missing some of the joy of life, like a night out, or a great concert, or in this case treating your husband and some of his friends to a joyful evening, can also be a problem. You don’t do this every night, just special occasions. Bottom line: Did he have a wonderful time without worrying about the check? I bet he did. If you were throwing the party, he knew you could afford it, and just enjoyed himself, right?”
Well said, Toby. It seems to me someone once said, “It’s Not About the Money!”
