I have always been a bit frugal. I wonder if many entrepreneurs are? Is this a character trait amongst us?No doubt you have to feel comfortable with tightening the money belt.
My husband isn’t so good at this. He likes fine foods and loves to be the guy around town whenever he can. I like living it up too but I am also really paranoid about my spending now more than ever because I never know exactly when money is going to come in for me.
The majority of my friends are successfully employed and lack of money doesn’t seem to be issue for them. We get asked out for dinner and cool stuff like that a lot. I hate saying no because for one I like to have fun and two I hate missing out on fun. My husband thinks I am a little paranoid about our money situation so he down plays our situation and rarely says no to invites because to him the cup is always half full. Me on the other hand – I am the cup half empty gal.
Right now I have a lot of business expenses, so any money I make goes straight to my expenses and let’s face it I am not making too much money these days. It has me feeling a little panicky to say the least. Here’s a link to that whole mess.
I have to pay for occasional daycare because I can’t handle it all on my own. I’ll go kooky. Really.
A few things have made me a bit cranky over the last several years –
- Watching everyone “party” while I have been preggos
- Watching people have fancy vacations and nights out when I feel I can’t.
- Saying no to all of the above
So my question to the universe is “ARE PEOPLE WITH MONEY HAPPIER THAN ME?”
Sometimes I think yes. Sometimes I think going back to that safe, well paying government job (remember I am on a leave of absence) is the way to go. But then I remind myself that it isn’t going to give me all that I want and need for my life right now…… but then do I really know what I want??????
I guess I have to have faith that one day I will be rich and famous entrepreneur or spiritually profound living on a cool island where money doesn’t matter. But how will I afford to get there?
PS: I hate the new HST tax. There I said it. Really pisses me off.
Love this post!! My fiancée and I have this discussion all the time. We are both entrepreneurs…we make good money but you know what? we are still frugal with our money!! WHY?? Because that is how people get rich!!
Unless you were born into money…everything that I have ever read about getting rich has to do with smart spending and even smarter savings!!
By no means do we live a cheap lifestyle but do we need the next new fangled cell phone with 500 apps? Nope! And that saves tons of money.
I have never been a big believer in STUFF making one happy…I may not have fancy STUFF…but i have everything I need with my man, my kids and our passions in life that drive us every day!!
This too will pass! You’re on something of a “time-out” right now to explore your options – giving up something in the short term for hopes of gain in the long term. That’s “ballsy” to use a macho term 🙂 and what’s more in this forum, that’s inspirational! To use an analogy – you’re trading in an “off-the-rack” lifestyle for a “designer” lifestyle. The best fit will give you the best life. “An ill-fitting shoe will blister your sole, and an ill-fitting life will blister your soul…”
I hear ya..Im the costco queen otherwise known as the “hold back queeen”.
Although the ‘half full’ glass may be the way us Bon Vivants look at life, the glass usually look half empty whilst ‘out on the town’ – so Fill’er up please!!! we’ll balance the books after we die…
Bob
I agree with Julie. Appearances can be deceiving. More and more people live off of credit instead of cash these days.
I’ve been a SAHM for almost 3 years now and while at times it’s been a struggle, we find a way to manage. I wouldn’t change a thing..well maybe the money thing I would change, but you know what I mean!
i think you’ll find that the people going on vacations are whipping out their credit cards way more often than you think. we are a family of 4 living in toronto on a 5 figure salary so i can understand “looking in”. however, when i look at our finances, we may be cash poor but we have investments in ourselves, kids and house so when we “grow up” we’ll be set.
i try to look at the later rather than the now although it’s hard when other people are lying on the beach and i have my feet in a kiddie pool in the backyard.