A good friend and I were catching up a few months ago and he shared that the book “Die with zero” inspired him. Outside of a few financial planning tips, the central thesis of the book was that we are too attached to accumulating wealth.
Instead, our goal should be to die with as close to zero dollars left as possible, having spent our money on memorable life experiences and giving to loved ones and causes we care about.
He was on a career break and shared just how disconcerting it was to see his bank account go down instead of up. And even though he had “enough,” it still didn’t remove that discomfort. Old habits and programming are hard to change.
I haven’t read the book but I have thought about that conversation a few times over the past months. Personal finance and spending is a complex topic. Any discussion requires dealing with nuance as our circumstances vary.
But I’ve also come to realize that any answer that is along the lines of “I’ll be happier when….” is the wrong answer.
That doesn’t mean indulging our every whim. It does, however, mean being intentional about spending on experiences that are within our means in the current moment.
Don’t keep postponing the good stuff.
Time does fly… and life can be shorter than we think.
