Unpopular Opinion

Am I am old soul? Probably.

Freedom = mental peace > consumerism for the sake of it.

Financial peace > YOLO or "you can't take it with you" ... Does that mean being irresponsible when you get to a future unforeseen event, not caring about generational wealth, and being okay with stressing about finances, and trapped with no breathing room and not being able to refuse bad deals? 🤔

YOLO all the way to no future goals? Goals require discipline and outweigh short-term "fun" because that freedom of having "eff you" money outweighs all the parties, clubs, fast food and all the other definitions of "fun" that perpetuate short-term gain at the expense of long-term gain.

My gym membership is still cheaper than many people's drinking habits... but I am the crazy one because fitness is so "expensive" apparently. We all have a right to choose our own priorities, but all I am saying is: be responsible. Discipline pays off. The "here and now" is important to a degree, but securing one's future and being able to manage any situation flawlessly is also important. 

I love saying no to bad deals easily and my multi-lane approach helps me do that (but I love all my lanes innately, not just for the perks).

The only brand name things I care about are vitamins, gyms, and whole/healthy foods, the rest doesn't matter to me anymore...

It's not to say that luxury items are bad, I am just prioritizing differently than before. Health is wealth to me.

My mind can travel anywhere with self-education as well and I prioritize my money differently than short-lived fun like before, I like to save in advance for larger expenses too. I have completely dropped the YOLO mindset. I see the value of a dollar now more than ever with my revived ADHD diagnosis which is considered a disability. 

I am not running a side-hustle for a handbag anymore, I am running it for my future security (enhancing it despite loving all my lanes and their contributions to it, I like taking some responsibility for my investments and doubling down), and the security of my fundraiser.

Instagram Flex Culture = people likely in debt.

I started to only buy new clothes if my current ones have holes in them. I went the opposite extreme and I am actually glad I did. I needed to unlearn the BS of flashy items meaning success, true success to me is health and a measure of time freedom, while having enough to live, save, and give back to my fundraiser. 

We can "deserve" more luxury and maybe even sometimes afford it, but nothing feels better than more security and better navigational abilities under all circumstances due to some level of prudence that protects our future.

Sometimes, luxury means being able to back off of my side-hustle for a bit and rest and not suffer because of it.

In my 20s, I used to shop away my problems aka unmedicated ADHD and "buy" my worth so feel like I was useful and good at something (outward appearances), I learned quickly that external validation is as fleeting as tomorrow's weather forecast. People see through their filters. We can't control their filters, but we can control our health and self-esteem which comes with a level of personal responsibility towards the controllable factors of our future (self-education and self-discipline over fleeting temporary highs).

Tranquility in my business is having no overhead, I'll take scaling back at the drop of a hat over massive operations as the impact I am here to make must respect my health.

Tranquility is not the absence of progress as chaos is not an indication of true forward motion, some things may be disorganized - but smooth operations are sustainable long-term and healthy too.

I used to believe that the physical manifestations of my hard work were the only things that were legitimate, but I'm starting to see it differently now (can I afford to scale back when I feel like it without notice, is my fitness good, do I have time and location freedom, etc). Of course I want more Forbes features, but funny enough: that only happened after I carved out sacred boundaries around my health condition.

I'm not saying that grooming and outward appearance doesn't matter because it actually does but you don't have to piss away your whole paycheque on designer when you can just buy really nicely fitting clothes and groom yourself properly.

I don't think that money is for flexing or consumerism, I think money is for having autonomy, independence, choices, and options.

Know your own non-negotiables and be willing to cut what doesn't add value to your unique needs and priorities (you know yourself best):

Creative ways to enjoy life without spending more exist... If I get a sponsorship for a software I use for my business, that money is free'd up for my number one love: the gym and fitness equipment, but in contrast, my T-shirts are from Amazon Basics and I don't travel a lot.

I rather cut fast food to afford my commute to the gym as I find it adds no value to my life, for instance, but the gym I am passionate about (as it has all the amenities I love and it's a mini-vacation) truly does.   

Cheap dopamine hits from over-consumption or an investment in my health through a fancy gym membership that I truly love and adds efficiency to my disability management? It's not a hard question for me. 

You don't have to eliminate your joy sources to save money, you get rid of the stuff that doesn't add value to *your* life... as everyone has different values and needs.

Creating a financial plan that is tailored to your own present and future needs, rather than someone else’s expectations (or the areas of spending they value over other ones for instance), is crucial because it ensures that the plan aligns with your personal values, goals, and lifestyle.

It is important to maintain spending on aspects of life that bring *you* joy and fulfillment, while cutting out expenses that don’t hold personal significance. This approach not only helps in managing finances more efficiently but also makes the journey towards financial stability more enjoyable and meaningful.

By focusing on your unique needs, your financial plan becomes a tool for enhancing your life rather than a series of disempowering sacrifices, allowing you to achieve both your immediate satisfaction and long-term objectives.

Figure out what is enough for you so that you're not always chasing and that's not settling or scarcity, it's just common sense, there's a balance that we all know is right for ourselves that no one outside of us can define.

Is the juice worth the squeeze? For me, success means health first and money is a tool to give me options, but I also want a pausable business model as I am not going to run myself into the ground for a few extra dollars or a fancier this or that. I will absolutely keep my fancy gym though, most of my money goes to health, but this is what I mean by tailoring your finances and life to the uniqueness that is you!