I often hear people say and read claims made by so-called financial "experts" that saving money requires "making sacrifices". This is a bunch of baloney though, assuming that you value your future. Most people understand the need to save money, even if they don't think that they can save anything after paying all of their bills.

What the idea of sacrifice tries to smuggle into our minds is that life is full of suffering and that suffering can or does ultimately bring us happiness. This is nonsense. Suffering is the antithesis of life, and brings death, eventually. Rational thought applied to action is what brings happiness. Productivity, honesty, efficacy, integrity...these are virtues that every American can be proud of.  Suffering and sacrifice are not virtues.

Saving money for your future is making provision for a time when you may not be able to work any longer. If you value your future, then it's not a sacrifice. It's a voluntary trade. What you are doing when you set aside money for your future is establishing the idea (at least implicitly)  that you value your future more than you value whatever it is you could buy with what you are saving.

You are not "giving up", you are trading up. You are getting something better than what your money could buy you right now...namely peace of mind when you are older.

The next time someone tells you that you need to sacrifice for your future, think about it for a moment and think about whether this individual truly has your best interests at heart.

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This entry was posted on February 2nd, 2009 by David C Lewis, RFC. Edits may have been made to keep this entry current. · No Comments · Budgeting & Money Management, Insurance & Savings