Nugget of the Night

Sorry this is a bit late... we attended our local seminar last night, but today was pretty busy and I didn't get a chance to get my notes out.

We heard from Chris & Danaé Mattis this month. They were both very entertaining and seemed to really be enjoying the TEAM experience.

One thing that stood out for me was the concept of having to give something up (sacrifice) to get more in return (reward). Giving up things that you think you NEED now in order to be able to afford the things you WANT in the future. They spoke quite a bit on delayed gratification... which I must admit has been a foreign concept to me for many years... I have always made just enough money to cover the bills and then had fun blowing the rest. I figured if I wasn't putting it on a credit card then I was doing all right. The problem was that as I got older, got married, switched jobs, had kids, got a mortgage, etc. ... the bills got bigger and my "toys" got more expensive.

Soon life starts to creep up on you and you realize that if you blow your "fun money" every week, you have nothing to use when the brakes in your wife's car go out, or you suddenly need $ 7,000 in dental work (no exaggeration - but my teeth are pretty now). Then the only option you have is those wonderful little plastic devils! "Thank you Mr. Visa & Mrs. MasterCard... thank you for allowing me to put my bills off for another month and only charge me 22.75 % interest!"

Then of course next week... you need more toys... but you have to make a minimum payment to the cards... so guess what else goes on credit... yup... that Magic Bullet Juicer that you knew would just save you tons of counter space, make you healthier and save you money. But its OK... because if I call RIGHT NOW! They'll also throw in the Fry Daddy, Ginsu Knives and the Buns of Steal at no extra cost!!!

When you think about it in hindsight... all that junk didn't make your life any better, or save you money... or even counter space for that matter. All it did was provide another opportunity to continue to plug away at the 45 Year Plan.

Here's a depressing little experiment for you...
- take a calculator, pen (or pencil), and a note pad
- Stroll casually around every room in your house, taking inventory of everything you have purchased over the past few years.
- How much of it was an ACTUAL NEED?
- How much of it have you never used since that first week?
- How many dress shirts can you fit on that treadmill?
- How much did you spend on it all?
- How many items are you STILL paying for?
- And finally, what could you have done with that money instead?

...the results may just be enough to get you to reconsider calling the 800 number the next time some handsome guy with an Aussie accent tries to sell you something.