Yesterday my wife and I were packing to go on a trip to Europe. Mostly Spain but also the UK. Flying Ryanair we have to pack everything into a 40x30x20cm bag. That is a very small bag. I took it as a challenge trying to see if I can make it with so little stuff. My wife's word?
This feels like punishment
However, by the end of the day she had also finished packing and was all ready to go. However, I really don't think of the small bag as a bad thing. In fact it can be a very good thing. When travelling so light going from place to place is so much easier. There are a lot fewer items to worry about while travelling. Overall the focus is on enjoying the vacation and not so much on sorting, packing, unpacking, and struggling from getting stuff from taxi's to hotels.
I will admit that I am very proud of my son Yes, he will be finishing his four year course to be an electrician in a week and likely write his Red Seal License to become a journeyman a week after that. A big step towards a higher wage and a better job. But here is the interesting thing he already knows he doesn't need the higher salary.
I believe that is genuinely impressive. I say this because only a year ago he was telling me "Dad. I think I'm in the wrong job. All my co-workers are flat broke before the next payday and they are journeymen!". It made him wonder how he would survive as an apprentice when the journeymen couldn't make ends meet.
However, my son learned lessons his co-workers never learned. Mostly that less is more. Now that may seem like an oxymoron but here is the rationale. My wife is a shopper and she buys LOTS. In fact there isn't a free space in the entire home. Even now there are 3 sacks of rice that she purchased sitting in the back of our vehicle because there is no room in the home.
My son used to have LOTS of stuff in his room. Then he got frustrated that it was so hard to deal with everything. He did a major declutter and got rid of all but the most important things. Getting rid of the excess made his life much simpler.
He has been doing that ever since.
As an example: He is selling his motorcycle. Is the motorcycle fun? Absolutely...but he can only ride it for a small portion of the year. Maintenance, storage, insurance, gear and other expenses are ongoing though. He weighed the joy it brings VS the stress it causes and decided "It's not worth it".
He tries to buy as little as possible and even then only if it truly makes his life better. He considers every purchase to make sure it isn't impulsive. He also researches the purchase to make sure he buys the best quality to ensure he doesn't end up with something he doesn't truly enjoy. As such he has an excellent gaming computer. He has a quality laptop. For his bed? Only a futon which he rolls up and stores every morning. A futon he can move easily. A full bed is heavy and hard to move.
I knew he was truly mature when he called me one day asking if he could not work overtime. Now he is an adult so I asked why he would bother asking me? He said "You always said, 'get it done while there is sun' " which is true. I told him you never know when lean times come or the good times end so always work hard during the good times to make sure there is enough for later.
But then he told me "Overtime is stealing the joy from my life". He would go to work early, come home late, and there was no time for friends, girlfriend or the gym. The things he truly enjoys. Then he told me: **"Dad. I have enough to pay all my bills. I save for vacation and fun things every month. I save for retirement every month. I save in my Tax Free Savings account every month. After all this I have more than I need. Why do I need to keep doing overtime?".
I just smiled inwardly. My son had learned something few people ever do. Money doesn't buy happiness. Having enough is important. If he can't afford the gym? If he can't afford go out with friends? If he can't afford to spoil his girlfriend a little bit? If he can't afford the bills? Then he loses out on things that bring him happiness. Having savings for the future is important. Emergencies happen. Old age happens. There will be needs in the future you don't know now. It is always better to be prepared.
But
People often forget that you work to live NOT live to work. My son has enough. My son is saving diligently. And there is still money left. Working more gives him a larger paycheque but less happiness. Could he buy more things with that money? Of course he could. He knows that more things he doesn't need just cause more stress, work and headaches.
I just smiled and told him: Son. I'm proud of you. Well spoken. You are working hard, getting ahead and spending wisely. If you don't want to work more? Don't. If they truly need you then do it to help out your co-workers or boss and accept the money as a bonus. If they don't need you? Enjoy your days off.
Looking at many people out there? I think my son is one of very few who are "free". Many people are forced to work just to live and they have no freedom. Many people buy too much and are forced to work to pay off what they borrowed. Some people have more than enough money but also too much stuff and too many commitments. Their items and their money force them to work just to take care of what they have.
People who have a path in life? Who have enough? Who avoid the trap of too many things. Who avoid the trap of just a little more money in the savings. I could be wrong...but I believe those people are rare...and I'm very proud my son is one of them.
Now I just hope he stays on that path :D
And that's my thoughts on the Hive Learner prompt about money and happiness. In a nutshell many people don't have enough. Hard to be happy then. Some people buy the lie that more money and more things make people more happy. That is true to a bit but here is an analogy.
If you want to eat a meal but there is no food, or not enough? Not happy
If you want to eat a meal and there is excellent food and you eat enough, then eat more, then continue eating? You'll feel sick and Not Happy.
Happiness? A good meal with good friends and family in the right amount at the right time.
Just my thoughts and of course I would love to hear from people on their thoughts. I love comments. No comment? No problem. Thanks for reading.
