by Dr. Charles Alonzo Peters
Growing up my family didn’t have a lot of money. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy certain little pleasures in life. As kids the corner store down the block was our little ghetto Disneyland. The front of the store lined with rows of mouth watering treats created just as much excitement, anticipation, and joy as a real amusement park.
Fiery red Hot Balls, cherry Nomaladors (Now and Laters as I later learned was the proper name), and Smarties tempted us. Sweet gooey Sugar Daddies, delicious chocolate Mr. GoodBars, and tangy Apple Bazooka Bubble Gum called our names.
The limited funds represented by the jingling coins in our pockets required us to make a decision. This hard earned money we received from working around the house or being in the right place when a generous grandparent stopped by would only go so far ““ a few indulgent pieces of candy at most.
Smarties over Lemon Heads? Good-N-Plenty instead of Butter Fingers? The glare of the store clerk only made the decision harder as he grew inpatient with the excited band of kids clogging the front of his store.
But decide we did as we plopped our change on the counter and gleefully took possession of our treats, laughing and talking about our purchases on the way out.
It’s funny though, as adults we’ve lost this corner store discipline that served us so well as kids.
In the grown-up candy store of life we want it all. We’re no longer content deciding between Jujubees or Tootsie Rolls. We want the Jujubees AND the Tootsie Rolls.
No longer do we make the tough choices. We want it all ““ the large house, and the late model car, and the designer handbags, and the Sony flat screen television, and the private school, and the Caribbean vacations, and the 550 channel cable package, and the trips to the spa, and the shoes and the . . . . . .
Yes we want it all ““ NO, we’ve actually convinced ourselves that we deserve it all. Child like discipline be damned.
As kids we quickly learned eating all the candy we could get our hands on made us sick. As adults we’ve failed to realize consuming everything we see makes us financially sick ““ debt up to our eyeballs, woefully funded retirements, and jobs we’re trapped in because we have to pay the bills. We’ve become prisoners of our own desires.
Think about this. As kids we were happy with our few pieces of candy. We didn’t leave with the whole store, just the few pieces of candy that made us happiest.
As adults we can do the same thing. Despite what our consumer driven society tells us, we don’t need it all. We simply need to make choices ““ purchase those things that give us the greatest amount of enjoyment. For some of us nice vacations may be our Jolly Rancher, for others a large home may be our Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
If eating out at restaurants is your York Peppermint Patty and owning the latest fashions is your Twizzlers then enjoy. Life is too short. But consider putting the Pixie Stick (Lexus ES 350), Clark Bar (large screen television), and Milk Duds (spa treatments) back on the shelf.
Like many men electronic gear is my Baby Ruth. From Ipods to computers to flat screen televisions, I’m a tech junkie. Yet, I learned the hard way that to live a balanced financial life I need to make choices and give up other things that I enjoy less. In my case I now rarely eat out, I avoid purchasing expensive cars, and I seldom take expensive vacations.
The point is that we should all start making the child like choices. Trying to have it all only makes us financially sick. Spend money on what brings you the most happiness and put the rest back on the shelf. You’ll live a life you enjoy while securing a more financially stable future.
So what’s your Sour Apple Stick, your Baby Ruth? What makes you happiest? What gives you the most enjoyment? ………. And what should you put back on the shelf?
Over the next few weeks you’ll get great weekly insight and tips on managing your greenbacks by Dr. Charles Alonzo Peters of MochaMoney.com so be sure to check back.