Contentment is the most important money principle.
"Contentment is the most important money principle." I saw this in one of my finance Facebook groups and thought it would be an excellent quote to do a post about.
Whenever you see financial advice thrown about, you don't normally think about contentment, otherwise known as a state of happiness and satisfaction. Most financial advisers are going for the same result, get you to change course.
While this can be a great idea when it comes to plans, when you are looking at purchasing something, contentment with what you have can be one of your biggest allies. Contentment will allow you to do more with what you already have. When you can do more with what you already have, you can put off purchasing new things; saving you money.
What does contentment look like in a financial setting?
- The key to contentment in one's finances is not the amount one makes, but rather a willingness to live within that amount. (source)
- Financial contentment has less to do with money and more to do with our attitudes, belief systems, and decisions.
- Financial contentment brings peace of mind.
- I’m content with what we have and what God has entrusted to us. On the other hand, I’m not content to sit around and do nothing just because we’ve been blessed. (source)
- Being content does not mean we should cease from becoming more financially successful. Nor does it mean that we will never desire to make another purchase. However, if we allow sin to become a part of our lives or our budget is skewed by indulging in over-purchasing, any hope for contentment is destroyed. (source)
So, what are some ways that you can strive for contentment today?
- Find ways to look at the bright side of the situation you are in. This means being thankful for the house you have and not envious of the one that you are wanting.
- Live within your means. This can be tough when we really get ourselves into a pickle sometimes, but, by continuing to sacrifice to get to a place we want to be, it forces us to be content with what we have. The outcome is our motivation though.
- Find ways to minimize your stuff! Think of ways you can purge your stuff so that it doesn't weigh you down. When you have less stuff to organize and manage, it can really open the door to being content with what you have, not to mention side effects like more open space and less things to clean up or manage.
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Steven Goodwin
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- June 2018 Net Worth Update – $134,418.07 (+$1,089.72) - July 1, 2018
Being content with what you have makes you happy with you who are so that retirement can be enjoyed. Also it goes to show that money brings happiness, to an extent. If one is never satisfied or content with money, he or she can never escape the rat race. It’s a non-complex change that gives great returns.
This is a great idea that I haven’t considered, he or she must have been very wise!
Yeah I can agree that money can bring happiness to some extent as long as we don’t become consumed by it. And yes, if we never learn to save and invest then we will never be able to escape the rat race.
Hmmm… so the money can vs. can’t buy happiness sounds like it directly correlates to whether or not you own the money or the money owns you. Looks like I’ve found something to think about while stuck on a plane this afternoon.
Very well worded! Have a safe plane trip! Would definitely be a great subject to ponder!
Steven,
My wife and I may struggle with this a little bit. I remember when we moved in together and we lived in a single room, with all of our stuff in it. Now we live in a 3 bedroom house, and it is still just as full! It blows my mind how quickly things accumulate sometimes. Wow.
Cheers,
Josh
Josh Sandefer recently posted…The Millennials, Greatest. Generation. Ever.
Steven, this post makes me happy. This year has been such a game changer for me and we’re less than 25% of the way through it. Your three ways to strive for contentment are perfect.
Here’s how they work out for me:
Find ways to look at the bright side of the situation you are in — Even on such a restricted budget, I am happier than ever. I have met so many amazing bloggers through this process so far and have felt blessed by the support generously offered by strangers in this amazing online community. I’ve become more creative, am learning incredible amounts, and feel so accomplished by all if it.
Live within your means — This is key for me to become debt free. My issue with past attempts is that I would always backslide on the spending because I wasn’t content.
Find ways to minimize your stuff! — Purge, purge, purge. This had a huge impact on my spending in a good way. Purging earlier this year made me realize how much stuff I was donating that I had spent money on or went into debt just to get. It seems so silly now to have thought at one point that I needed all of this stuff. Purging at the same time as restructuring my finances changed my mindset. Less is more now and I don’t “want” to buy new things these days. All of the things I would obsess about until I had the perfect one which also conveniently would come with a steep price tag… meh. I’m good.
Thanks for the post!
Wow! This is awesome! I’ve been watching you’re progress and am cheering for you to make your goal! It’s amazing the freedom that we create when we take control of our money and start handling it better! I love how these three areas have helped you along the way!
It’s so crazy how when we can change how we look at things and what we “need” to buy, it makes it so much easier to get “stuff” out of our life! Thanks for the insightful and transparent comment!