Joy Blogette

In our fast paced lives we’re all rushing around trying to have it all. When I consider what “having it all” means to me, I initially think of all the things I want to have and do... a big house, nice new car, 3 kids in private school, nice clothes, jewellery, etc. It may seem greedy, but I work hard and have a good job… don’t I deserve those things? Upon closer reflection however, I realize that in the grand scheme of things most of these things that I feel like I need in order to “have it all”… are really not that important to me. They will likely make me happy in the short-term, but there are better uses for my hard earned income that will probably make me much happier in the long-term. It’s not just me, my whole generation has received this message of “having more” and we feel entitled to all the luxuries that we see in magazines and on TV. The new middle class is trying so hard to live in that mansion that we’re sending ourselves to the poor house. The way that we feel about money is so different than before... our baby-boomer parents always seemed to have lots of money, while their parents lived through the World Wars and the Great Depression and were very careful with their money. Have we progressed too far to the other end of the spectrum in our attitudes towards spending? Consider items that would have previously been considered to be luxuries… microwave, cell phone, computer, air-conditioning… how many of these are on your list of “needs” now? Do you really need them? Would it compromise your family’s safety and well-being not to have them? Now consider things that you actually need, but might see as lower priority right now… emergency fund (many experts recommend that you have 3-6 months worth of expenses in savings), retirement savings, health insurance, life insurance. Consider… if your microwave broke… could you survive without it? If you broke both your legs… what would you do? I think it’s astonishing how many children have cell phones… I wonder how many of them also have college funds. Which do you think serves them best in the long run? It may seem obvious when stated this way, but these small truths seem to be lost in the struggle of keeping up with the Jones. No one is going to lend you the money to live when you retire, if you don’t save, how will you pay for it? In this age of more, more, more, I can’t help but wonder… does having it all now, mean that we will end up with nothing?