As with my last post, this is all about some of the revelations that I've had recently. With that being my relationship with money.
I've come from a family that, despite our situation, managed very well due to careful money management from my parents and them being frugal so that I could have the best chance in life.
As of September I've found myself with an income. I've payed bills before with my time at Uni, but always from savings and student loans, never from my own hard work. After the initial pay out to furnish my new flat, I became very miserly, hoarding my money away and feeling guilty whenever I made an expensive train journey to London to see friends or got a takeaway meal when I knew there was enough to do me in the fridge.
But no more.
A few Fridays, after the kids had run out the door I found myself having a deep conversation with some teaching colleagues about money. One of them is in the same situation as me, a new young teacher with an income for the first time. The other has only been teaching a year but is roughly ten years older than us. He couldn't get over how we were trying to scrimp and save. He said that if we could, we should have as much fun over the next five years as so before we start settling down into mortgages, marriages and children (if the latter two are something that would interest us!).
It took someone else to mention it, but I realized he was right. I shouldn't feel guilty. I have no dependents. I am still young. My dad plunged into his first and only job at age 18. It was a highly stressful situation and he had blinkers on. Next thing he knew he was 34, had a wife, me and cancer. Although his treatment cured him, it was experimental and left him permanently disabled. He's 54 now and suffers a lot of regrets about how he spent his younger years. After a lengthy and emotional phone call to him, he implored me to do the same that my colleague had, stop worrying now and live a bit more.
So I'm saying goodbye to guilt and embracing YOLO culture. My first act of YOLO was my new iPhone 6. I love it and don't feel guilty at all!
Sarah x
I'm a saver. My boyfriend is a spender. I think we balance each other because I also feel a bit guilty when I spend my money, always worried that I'll need it for some unknown emergency. But you've got to remember the present too. Be wise with your money, of course, but don't forget you should enjoy life and sometimes that involves treating yourself!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got your new phone and that you love it :)
Spurging is fine once and a while. If you never get anything fun, it makes you view things differently. And, no matter how careful you are with your finances, something can come up at any time and mess things up, anyhow. A few shiny new gadgets and a trip or two won't be the ultimate "make-or-break".
ReplyDeleteStopped by because I thought you were taking part in the AtoZ Challenge. Did you put the wrong link on the sign up page?
ReplyDeleteLife & Faith in Caneyhead
I am Ensign B ~ One of Tremp's Troops with the
A to Z Challenge