don’t know about you but A good work ethic is a beautiful
I work hard for my money. thing, and there are plenty of
The harder we work, it people in our society without the
seems the more “stuff” we necessary work ethic. Yet the
accumulate and the more we get most successful people in the
the more we seem to need. It is world actually live below their
not uncommon for people to get means, all the time, no matter
locked into a material battle as what the bank account says.
they work harder and longer just Living below our means gives us
to keep up with the Jones’. In more options. Thinking about
our world of excess, maybe it’s taking a job on the other side of
time we all just settle back for the country, or even perhaps the
a moment and discover what is world? With a little extra cash
really important. in the bank, these things are
possible.
Nice things are nice. Nice cars,
nice homes, and nice furnishings With a little extra money in the
make us feel like we have bank, medical issues do not
arrived. Those little rewards we threaten everything, and kids
get when we have worked really with sudden special needs do not
hard to obtain a goal are so need to feel guilty because now
worth the effort. However, once Dad had to sell one of his toys.
we have financed ourselves up to With a little extra money in the
our ears and are working to pay bank, life’s surprises don’t
the interest payments on all of throw us so far off course. We
our nice stuff, we have locked all know this, but more and more
ourselves into a lifestyle of of us are financing our lives
working excessively hard to away and not really being able to
squeeze in our playtime. enjoy all that “stuff” we are
working so hard for.
your budget allows for a $35,000
So how does one remove themselves boat and you pinch it so that you
from the race against the Jones’ can own the $50,000 version, then
and become a little more relaxed how much time are you going to
and enjoy things a little more? have to enjoy the boat? If you
Believe it or not it’s actually get something you can readily
simpler than most people believe. afford you are going to relax
Scale down. more about the financial
situation and not feel the
Scaling down lets us kick back pressure of owning it every time
and enjoy life a little better. you set foot on it.
Scaling down removes us from the
race against the material, and Where does this desire to have
for the most part, our friends the “better than them” of
will still like us just the same. everything come from? Most
If they don’t, are they really experts say that it comes from
friends we want anyway? Scaling the notion that money solves
down teaches our children that problems and that people who
there are more important things appear to have a lot of money
in life than getting the next also have a lot of respect. Money
newer and better and best just doesn’t solve problems, people
because it’s the newer and better do. While it is very stressful to
and best. It teaches our kids have to deal with not having
there are valuable things in this enough money, the problems we
world that can’t be purchased. face can not be purchased, paid
off, or dealt with on a financial
This doesn’t mean that there level. People who go about their
isn’t a value in having toys. If business understanding that they
you want a boat, can afford a are responsible for their life
boat, then get the boat. But if and they are in control of their
life are much happier and rounded approach to everything,
contented with the world at large and that living below your means
than those who feel the next new reduces stress and pressure, and
toy will lead to happiness. that happiness most of all comes
from within.
Respect is not purchased. It
comes from hard work, doing the As a society in general we place
basic right and good things in too much emphasis on what other
life, stopping to help someone people think about our lives.
during the hustle and bustle of Since they are not the ones
your daily life. It is a function paying the bills for us, it is
of knowing who you are and where reasonable to learn to worry less
you are going and the way you about their opinion and worry
treat people along the way. more about the opinion we have of
Keeping up with the Jones’ is not ourselves. Once you begin the
a viable method of earning game of keeping up with the
respect. Jones’ it is very difficult to
pull out and declare the battle a
The happiest and most successful draw.
people in the world will tell you
that their secret is a well
About the Author:
David Beart is the owner of www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers household finances, family, cooking and other household issues.
Read more articles by:
David Beart
Article Source: www.iSnare.com 
