Expenditure


Expenditures = Living expenses + ExtravaganciesFamily Expenses + Taxes 

 

 

expenditures cost Money.

 

expense managemement advise = Savings + Avoid accumulating Debt + Don't "Compete with the Jones'"

 

Lowering expenses is often the most realistic solution if you're lacking in the money department.

 

A more frugal life doesn't appeal to most people, but it often becomes more acceptable when they think of the cost of what they want to buy in "number of hours of work". This really helps to distinguish needs from wants. Everything in life has a price and sometimes the price just isn't worth it.

Leading a simpler life can also free up time and money to spend on other things that contribute to happiness: health, a social life, meaningful activities.

 

 

I think I’m pretty happy in the expenditure realm.

 

I’ve always tried to live within or below my means regardless of whether I was working as a waiter or in my current position as an accountant. I adjusted my lifestyle according to my means. I think this is an important skill. Living beyond your means not only leads to a lot of financial problems, it also inherently indicates that – in a Buddhist sense – a person is longing for something which is not true or realistic. This is the essence of unhappiness. I am a big fan of Voluntary Simplicity and try to live my life as simple and most cost effectively as possible.

 

I think it’s very important to try to live as close to debt-free as possible. There really is no excuse for the ballooning credit card debt that I read about all the time. I have a credit card and do use it for travel, etc. But I keep the balance at zero if I can and I just don’t buy things on credit. If I don’t have the money, I don’t buy stuff. I am cool with housing debt and I do have student loans, but I try to pay much more than the minimum payments so that I can become debt free as soon as possible on both of those fronts. I don’t have a car loan. I always buy my cars with cash. I buy the car that I can afford to buy with what I have saved. This is usually an economy-sized, gas efficient car.

 

Saving for retirement financial security should be a big priority for everyone. I try to put away as much as I can because I’d like to have a full, rich life when I retire and not be puttering around my house watching Oprah. (But if you like puttering around your house watching Oprah right now, that's ok too.)