The #1 Money Question I Wish Everyone Could Answer Well.
It's not about making more money.
Last week, someone very close to me decided to sell his stocks and buy a new kitchen. This person lives in Porto, Portugal. He and I started the stock fund savings plan together 4 years ago to accumulate additional assets.
Currently, this is developing very well. In the end, the question arose: why should I give up the money now? Later, when I am old, won’t I still need it?
I have to admit that I lacked the arguments. This friend of mine has worked all his life in a secure job. There are still 17 years left before the traditional Portuguese retirement.
We have both established that the expected pension will still be at a level that also guarantees an adequate standard of living.
Also, my friend’s wife of the same age works full-time and will receive a decent pension.
Why Should I Save?
That is the question.
Some prefer to go on vacation now for the money while they can.
How should I answer this?
Health doesn’t improve. My back already hurts, and the visits to the doctor are more and more frequent. Sooner or later, I will stop working. Better to enjoy life now before you can’t anymore.
“If you save more now, you can stop working sooner,” I hear my own response.
“Seventeen years is still a long time…” But that’s fine here too. “What am I supposed to do at home all day?” I hear the ceiling falling on my head after only a week. After that, you are happy to be able to go out — to work.
I personally feel caught up. Am I saving too much? Should I treat myself more today? Act less particularly and enjoy life more.
I have convinced my girlfriend. Some of her co-workers are significantly older. They work hard every day to earn enough money for themselves and their children. Husband and wife are working in shifts. The two of them walk hand in hand; time together is rare. This convinced her to join me on our journey to financial freedom.
But am I right?
If we saved less now, we would have more money to live on. More money to travel.
That is what we want: to travel. But instead, we both work from dawn to dusk, accumulating every hard-earned penny in our savings account.
While writing this post, a question came to me.
Is there really a promising future without achieving financial freedom?
My close friend has no problem working a few extra hours every day. Actually, I don’t have that either. Hell, I even know that I would still be working even if I didn’t have to.
Simply because I like to work.
Am I picking up a lonely tendency that makes me fight hard for a goal that, in the end, is not worth it? Am I trying to get rid of something whose burden is not as heavy as I tell myself every day? What is so bad about having a regular job?
Am I chasing the dream of financial freedom in the same way that previous generations chased the dream of being a happy employee?
What motivates me.
What motivates me is that no one else tells me how to schedule my day.
Nobody can decide when I can go on vacation.
No one wants to do something urgently, even if my girlfriend has been waiting at home for dinner for a long time.
Many people have not asked themselves this question. Maybe just because there is no mental possibility that I can change anything about it.
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.