An evening a couple weeks ago I was enjoying a delicious home cooked meal with a very close friend. At that moment, I remembered earlier that day my sister had told me that a former young neighbor of mine had been diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. My friend and I started talking about how we want to be sure we experience life to the fullest and how our values and preferences are to experience life instead of accumulating things.
Earlier in the year, I had cancelled a vacation to Paris in which I planned to meet my daughter after her study abroad experience. I had recently started a new job and just did not think it was the right time to go on an extended leave.
That warm summer evening, after the meal and a glass of wine, my friend and I decided to book a trip to Paris, within two weeks. To our surprise that evening we were able to get great fares and the hotel was thrown in for points. We went for it and added two tickets to see Coldplay while there.
I am so grateful for several early life learnings that made this decision even possible for me.
- At an early comprehension in life I knew saving money was important (principle of compounding)
- When all your money bases are covered – we all need to have some fun money to enjoy with no guilt or shame
- When you prioritize good money habits daily, you allow yourself more options, in the future