How will you know when you have made enough money?
That may seem like an odd question, but I have found that our attitudes to money are often closely linked to how much money we make and how well we use it. One of our key attitudes to money, surrounds our financial end game: How much we think is enough money (for us).
How much is enough?
I am fortunate to have worked with some very intelligent people and never, ever missed an opportunity to learn from them. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received, was with regard to money. I asked a very wealthy businesswoman;
How do you know when you have enough money?
Her answer was not what I was expecting. I was 22 years old and assumed she would quote some magical financial figure to me. She didn’t. Here’s what she said:
You know you have enough money, when you no longer have to worry about money.
Money gives you choices
She went on to teach me the value of a lifestyle, where you could work where you wanted to, doing something you are passionate about, without having to worry if you can afford to financially. This was exciting to me, coming from a family, where my hard working parents often worried how they would find money to feed my brother and me.
I have never been motivated by money, mainly because although I grew up in a dirt poor home, I had loving parents and didn’t automatically equate money, with happiness. My motivation has never been to be rich, but to be financially secure. I wrote a post about financial security a while ago, which you may find useful.
I believe we owe it to ourselves, to get financially secure, so we can forget about money worries and focus on what actually matters. Yes, it’s great to have the things that money can buy, but it’s those things that money CAN’T buy, which provide the real magic in our lives.
What’s the best advice about money or wealth that you were ever given?