Spend The Money...

Life experiences give you an incalculable return on investment.

Every. Single. Time.

So, why is it so hard for us to spend money on them?

The reason for me is often because experiences tend to feel like an extravagant expenditure of money, time and energy.

Those are things I’ve been warned to spend wisely.

Let me give you an example. A few years ago my wife and I had a chance to leave our kids home for a few days and go on a sea kayaking trip. The trip we planned was in an unbelievably beautiful part of the world.

It would be the first time in over six months that we could do something without the kids.

Sounds amazing, right?

But then I started adding numbers.

It’s going to be $250 for the kayak rental, then a few hundred for the food, and the little inn we wanted to stay at was expensive. Before long, I was valuing our invaluable trip in the neighborhood of $1,000.

For three days? No way!

I spent a few days thinking (O.K., worrying) about this expense.

Was it responsible?

Did we have the money?

If we invested that $1,000 for 20 years and earned 7.5% it would grow to be $4,461!

Eventually, we pulled the trigger.

And, predictably enough, it took all of seven minutes on the first day, before I thought, “$1,000? For this?! What an incredible value!”

See what a mess it can become? Each time I try to do the math, I always run into the same problem.

Since experiences are incalculable, or invaluable, or priceless, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get them to fit into my calculator!

Good luck with your equation.

Out there in the kayak on crystal-clear water, all I could think about was how happy we were having that experience together.

So, ask me now, was it worth it?

Let me just save you a lot of time and energy, and give you the answer to that messy equation:

Spend the money!

Have something you want to do with someone you love, and you have the money to pay for it, and the only reason you’re not doing it is because you want to save the money?

Spend the money!

Then, do it again. And again. And the next time?

Spend the money!

Did I mention spend the money?

If it feels like I’m trying to drill this message into your brain, it’s because I am. After all, what else is the money there for?

O.K., for when you get sick, for when you get old, for when your kids need some financial help.

I know.

For a million good reasons.

But you already have every “real” financial advisor and financial pornography network under the sun telling you to save.

Just think of that as one side of the coin: Save for tomorrow.

I’m here to tell you not to forget about the other side: Spend for tomorrow.

Because it’s not just money you’re going to need way off in the distant future.

You’re also going to need a lifetime of priceless memories and invaluable experiences to remind you what a great life you’ve lived.

I can promise you this: if you find yourself looking back one day, only to realize you have no such memories, you’ll be doing a very different calculation.