Finance – Simply Happier

Save for Something Good

October 27, 2009 Simply Happier

Other than the necessities, there are probably many small things you might purchase which don’t really give you much satisfaction. One alternative to this is to save your extra money for something that will give you a much greater and longer lasting level of satisfaction. This usually means investing in things more valuable to you. Rather than getting many small things, you can save for something really big that will mean a lot to you. Investing your extra money in this way, if done right, can be more meaningful and much more gratifying.

Longevity
One advantage to saving for something great and meaningful is that bigger and more expensive things are generally more likely to last longer than smaller, cheaper things. This lets you enjoy your investment more over a much greater period of time. Because of this, it can be more likely that the bigger things will have a greater impact on your life. This means that the benefits of having it will be greater.

Quality
Another good part about saving for something big is that you are more likely to get something that is much higher quality. This can make your overall experience more enjoyable than it would otherwise be with something cheaper. Also when you buy things of greater quality, you might even end up saving money in the long run because it is more likely to outlast things of inferior quality. Higher quality items are usually more durable, and can generally be relied upon more than similar things of less quality.

Happiness
When you save and save to buy something big, there is probably a good chance that you will derive a lot more happiness from that object than if it were something cheaper. This happiness comes not only through direct use, but also just through the thought of knowing you have such a great thing. You can enjoy just about every aspect of having nice things from the anticipation during the saving process, to the act of obtaining what you desire. Also, since the investment was greater, you will be more likely to use the object.

While it can be greatly beneficial to use your spending money in this way, it is always a good idea to think these things through before you leap. Before making any big investments with your money, you’ll need to make sure that you can actually afford to use what you have saved. Also, keep in mind any maintenance costs of the things you are considering buying since more expensive things may cost more to maintain. It is a good idea to make sure you can afford not only to spend the money on what you want, but also make sure that you can afford to maintain it.

Seven Things You Dont Need to Buy

August 25, 2009 Simply Happier

When you are trying to save up some extra money, it can be beneficial to cut out some of the expenses you really don’t need. The trouble with this is trying to find out just what you can and can’t cut from your budget. Listed here are a few ideas of items that you might be able to consider cutting out in order to help your finances.

1) Candy
Sweet sweet candy. The temporary satisfaction of biting into some kind of sugar product. It is quite rewarding. Unfortunately the reward typically only lasts a few minutes at most. These products give you temporary satisfaction in exchange for your hard earned money.

2) Gourmet Drinks
The daily coffee/tea/espresso or whatever your inner gourmet tells you. These things can really eat a hole in your wallet since its very easy to have a daily habit of buying them. Before you know it, you’ve spent hundreds of dollars for paper cups filled with some fancily named drink that you might even be able to make for yourself for much cheaper.

3) Junk food
Junk foods are another one of those things that can be quite addicting. You can help curb this habit a bit by giving yourself a bit of a reality check by taking a look at one of your previous grocery shopping receipts. Just for fun, total up the amount of money spent on items you would consider to be junk food. You might be surprised how much you really spend on this stuff.

4) Gadgets
As tempting as it may be to get the latest phone/tv/game system/etc, constantly trying to keep up with the gadget trends can be one of your biggest financial sinks. Before buying something like this, its beneficial to make yourself wait a certain amount of time before actually making the purchase. By waiting a bit, you can get a better picture of how much you really want something. One simple way to help avoid these temptations to begin with is to avoid reading/learning/talking about them. After all, if you don’t know that there out there, how could you want to buy one?

5) Decorations
While it can be fun to liven up your living area, if your on a tight budget then you may want to put a hold on getting any new decorations for a while.

6) Television with a Cable subscription
The cost of having a television with a cable subscription encompasses not only the cost of the subscription itself, but also the electrical costs of running the television. Then there is also the cost of just having a television, which eventually breaks and causes you to either have to pay to repair it, or buy a new one.

7) More Telephone Service than you need
There are certain things you just need a telephone for, so its not really very practical to cut this expense out completely. However, this doesn’t mean that you cant at least cut down your costs dramatically. The costs of telephone service can be quite expensive, even if you don’t even really talk on the phone that much. Many phone plans charge you regardless of whether or not you talk a lot. Also, if you have both a land line and a cell phone then consider going with only one or the other. If you really think it over for a while, you might find that you really don’t actually need both a land line and cell phone. Also for those who don’t talk much, you might want to look at some of the cheaper pay as you go plans for cell phones.

Saving Towards Happiness

July 23, 2009 Creative Happiness

There will always be things that you want or that could be helpful to you that you know you can’t afford. At least you think you can’t afford them, can you? Even if you don’t make that much money on each check, it can still be possible for you to afford the things you want and need. The trick is to not waste money on stupid stuff, and try to save as much as you can.

Trying to put away a little bit of money from each check is a great way to save up money quick. I know expenses come up, but when you have extra money why not save it for a big purchase? It might be easier than you think to save up for that Caribbean cruise or new home. All you really need to do is change your spending habits.

Now this might be easier said than done. Like with anything else in your life you want to change, you must make a conscious effort to watch what you spend your money on and avoid slipping back into bad spending habits. This might prove difficult and frustrating at first, but your big purchase will be well worth it.

A good way to spend wisely is to plan a budget. Only spend money on what you need to. (You really don’t need that $4 latte every morning do you?) Another way to make it easy to save up money is to have a separate savings account that you cannot touch until you are ready to make your purchase. Make a spreadsheet with all your expenses on it and put whatever remaining money you have into this account.

This can be a much better use of your money than spending it on little things that you won’t get much use out of. Saving up for something big such as a new computer you use everyday, or a vacation with great memories will bring you more enjoyment overall than spending most of your money on things like shoes. This is just an example, but the point is to spend wisely, and save those big purchases for things that are going to have some lasting value.

Entertainment on a Budget

July 7, 2009 Simply Happier

Money is a key component in our society. Every bit of money you earn usually costs you something. That may be time, risk, or something else. Whatever it is, money represents value. The more money you use on things that are low value, the less money you will have for things of higher value. Also, generally the more you spend the more you will have to exchange to replace whats been spent. This is good to keep in mind if you are trying to find motivation to save money or stay within a budget. There are so many ways to spend your time so that you are both being entertained, and not hurting your overall finances too much.

Listed here are ten of these potential sources of entertainment.

1. Go for a walk
Going for a walk provides entertainment and exercise all in one. It can also help you become better acquainted with the area around where you live by giving you a closer look at things than driving usually allows. The ability to drive everywhere is great and everything, but sometimes walking brings your attention to new and interesting things. These are things that you may have never noticed while speeding by in the car. Taking a walk every now and then can give you a great new perspective on the world around you.

2. Go for a bike ride
If you looking for exercise and entertainment in one, then talking a bike ride may be the way to go. It can give you a greater variety of scenery than walking, while still allowing for both entertainment and exercise. It does not give you quite as much time to sit and notice the things around you as walking does, but you may still uncover new and interesting places. Also, you can usually pick up used bikes for fairly reasonable prices. Once you have a bike, it can pay dividends towards your exercise and budget goals.

3. Go to the library
The local library is a great place to find things to do. The types of entertainment you find here can vary greatly depending on the particular library you visit. Some libraries only have books, while others may have much more. Also, you can get a two for one deal with this by walking or riding a bike to the library.

4. Go to the park
The park can be a fun and relaxing place. Like the library, the types of entertainment available at the local park can vary quite a bit. Some have nothing but grass and maybe some playground equipment, while others have basketball/tennis courts and even swimming pools. Also, if your local park isn’t what you want, you might want to try visiting some of the other parks near by.

5. Visit local historical places
Often times there is quite a bit of history around where you live, without you ever even knowing about it. Finding these places can take a bit of research, but they can be very interesting to visit. You might be surprised with just how much history is behind the areas around you.

6. Join a local sports team
If your at all into any sport, chances are you can find a sports team that you may be able to join. Depending on how often they meet, this can provide you with a good amount of entertainment with the added benefit of exercise and the opportunity to meet new people.

7. Go to the beach
There are quite a few beaches open to the public where you can play volleyball, swim, or just sit out in the sun. Sometimes you can even rent out small paddle boats by the hour.

8. Plant a garden
Planting a garden can provide you with entertainment, healthy food, and fresh air. It may also even save you a bit of money on your grocery bill.

9. Volunteer to a good cause
There are lots of things you can volunteer for. One common place you might find to volunteer at is a homeless shelter. If there is not one near you, do some research and maybe ask around about some other opportunities within your local community.

10. Learn a new skill
Learning a new skill can help you in more ways than just providing you entertainment. It can give you an edge on things like college and job applications, and maybe even help you learn new things about yourself.

Invest in Your Happiness

June 16, 2009 Simply Happier

Money can either be a great contributor to happiness, or a great source of unhappiness. It all depends on how you use it. In a way, it works to enhance whatever you use it for. It can help obtain many of the things that contribute to being happy such as healthy food, a good place to live, and even medicine for sickness. Without it, quite a bit of suffering can occur. But at the same time, it can be used for things that are not so good, such as to obtain unhealthy food, and support bad addictions. This is why it is important to be very aware of how you are actually using your money, and make smart decisions about what you spend it on.

What you use your money for can be one of the most important decisions you make.

Money can be a great tool for happiness, if you make it one. But that’s just it. You actually have to make it one. Aside from temporary feelings of abundance, it doesn’t usually just make you happy by simply being around. Its more of a neutral medium that you use turn into something good or bad. Exactly how you use it is what determines whether or not it contributes to your happiness. It is up to you to determine the functionality of your money.

Of course the desired outcome is to have money contribute to your overall happiness, but its easy to become unaware of just what you are actually spending it on. Without having the discipline and awareness necessary to spend your money in ways that are beneficial, the chances of making investments which only contribute to unhappiness can increase greatly.

To make sure that you are using your money for things that really matter, and on things that will contribute to your overall sense of happiness, you will need to take a close look at how you are currently using it. Upon closer examination it is up to you to try and pick out the things that are ultimately good or bad for you.

Some things you are spending your money on can be pretty easy to pick out as bad choices, while others may not. It may take some trial and error in order to find out where some bad choices actually are. The key here is to be aware of what you are spending money on, and take a close look at the outcome.

Here are a few questions to determine if you are making decisions with your money that are contributing to your overall happiness.

1) Do you often feel regretful about your purchases?
If you often look back on what you buy as something that you really shouldn’t have bought after all, then you may need to set aside a bit more time and thought into what you are buying because it this may likely be a sign that you are using your money in ways that are not really helping you. One of the key things here is to use this question to help you, instead of a reminder of weaknesses. Don’t look at it as a reason to just feel bad about a mistaken purchase. Look at it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Instead of the mentality of “I really shouldn’t have done this” a more useful way of thinking would be “Okay it happened. Now what can I do to make sure I make better decisions in the future?”. Use your spending mistakes as opportunities to learn instead of opportunities to beat yourself up. By doing this you will be able to make better decisions about your spending in the future.

2) Do you buy healthy food?
This question is important because healthy food can contribute to your overall happiness quite a bit. It is beyond the purpose of this article to discuss what healthy food may be. There are a number of other places to find this information such as books, websites, and magazines. You may even want to take a look at the Nutrition section of this website for some ideas.

3) Do you think you spend too much?
Are you always buying things you know you cannot afford? There is quite a difference between overspending a little now and then, and being constantly broke from shopping sprees. The first situation may make you feel remorseful now and then, but the second situation can be a major contributor to unhappiness by taking away this resource from areas of your life that could really use it. If you don’t have the money to buy something non-essential which you want, do you often get it anyway, or do you make due and live without it? If you are overspending to the point where you are taking away from more important areas of your life, then it may be time to cut back a little bit.

4) Do others think you spend too much?
Sometimes its hard to spot if you are spending so much to the point that it is taking away from more important things. In this case it can be useful to take a look through an outside perspective. Be careful if you choose to ask for others opinions though, since you may not always like what you hear.

5) Do you know your limits?
Are you currently aware of how much you can reasonably spend on various things? If not, then do you often worry about if you can afford the things you buy? If this is the case then it can be useful to a set budget for yourself. Find something that is both reasonable and something that you feel comfortable with. By having a budget you save yourself the stress of having to worry about if the things you buy are things that you can actually afford. This gives less of a chance for doubt, regret, and other unhappy thoughts to set in after a purchase.

Simply Happier

Improving life through simple changes

Browsed by
Category: Finance