I learned a lot from my first father-in-law. He was frugal and planned well. He was able to retire at age 55 and have a long second career in a field he had great passion for. He taught his whole family to be conscientious about money and I appreciated learning how to be that way as well.
It did bring up some issues however. When my first wife and I went on our first vacation we had to have a discussion about money. This is what it came down to: she was worried about spending too much, and I was worried her concern would override our willingness to have fun and enjoy the vacation. Now, I wasn’t going to go out and buy something expensive and crazy, but I did want us to enjoy ourselves and to do that we would be spending some money.
I came to realize something on that vacation. You know the cliche statement ‘I want to get away from it all’ that accompanies planning a vacation? Well, what exactly is ALL? It might include your job, obligations, stress, location, routine, family, weather, etc. You know what else it might include? A desire to escape worrying about money. That is what I wanted a vacation from.
There is a time to worry about your money and be frugal. There is a time to enjoy it, share it, spend it. My first wife understood what I was talking about and agreed to loosen up the wallet a bit. I, in turn, promised not to spend $10,000 dollars on a painting of Elvis on black velvet.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
What is money attracted to? It’s attracted to worthy people. Who is worthy? Those that invite money in, give money something to enjoy and appreciate, and appreciate money in return. Just like personal hospitality with family and friends, right? So, treat money (and the people who have it) with respect and admiration, offering something of value and money will be attracted to you.
I like this quote because it asks a logical question that I haven’t heard before. I really haven’t thought about it or researched it long enough to have a definitive answer. So, help me out, tell me what you think is the root of all money.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Ayn Rand (Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum), 1905-1982, Russian born American novelist
Do you know how much money Einstein had? Do you know how big Mark Twain’s house was? Do you know if Florence Nightingale had expensive clothes? What kind of car did Amelia Earhart own?
Chances are you don’t know the answer to those questions. That is because their wealth and worth weren’t defined by their money and material possessions. What about you? Are you under the impression that your wealth and your money are the same? If your money goes away does your wealth go away? How can you protect your wealth even if your money and material goods disappear?
Perhaps your wealth is your legacy, not your money. What does your wealth look like now? What would you like it to look like?
