I’m a big fan of the Foo Fighters. I have been since I discovered them in high school, with their album The Colour and the Shape. They were in town for a concert the other night and I really wanted to go, but I waited until almost the last minute to buy tickets and they were a decent amount more than I expected to pay.
I didn’t want to do it. After all, what kind of self-respecting personal finance blogger blows upwards of $140 for a couple of concert tickets? Isn’t being frugal extremely important?
Right?
Not so much.
It took a comment from my lovely wife to put things in perspective. And I quote:
You’re never going to look back on your life and say “I wish I wouldn’t have spent that money” but you might look back on your life and say “I really wish I’d gone to that concert.”
Isn’t she brilliant? I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in frugality or saving money (or even earning more money) that we forget to live. Money isn’t life and I think we all need to be reminded that life is precious and we ought to take advantage of every single day.
The moral? Don’t be too frugal. You only live once (presumably).
3 responses to “Don’t Be Too Frugal. You Only Live Once.”
I agree with your wife 1000%. It’s important to live now while you are still able to enjoy many of the things you do. If you only save for the future, and abandon the present, you’ll most likely miss out on quite a bit. By the time you retire most of your favorite bands or athletes will be long gone, so go see them while you can. I look at it like this: physical and fiscal health are polar opposites, moving in opposite directions as time marches on. You need to do the things you enjoy doing while you physically can, rather than later when you are fiscally in better shape but unable to do things physically.
Great comment Eric, I appreciate you sharing. I totally agree.
Oh I 100% agree! It’s a balance between being smart in what you do with your money, and living in the present. Your money does you no good if your dead:)