2nd rule of gold

Long time has passed, but here I am again. Vacation is over and lots of work is ahead. It’s interesting – I found out that I think about my financial freedom more when I’m at work; during vacation my motivation to think, dream and plan about my financial future was very-very low. Conclusion from that – vacation is the permanent ’status’ I want to achieve, freedom from worries about future, free from worries that I don’t use my time so effectively as I should (it’s incredible how much stress this can create – at evenings when I’m too tired to do something, I automatically start to think that I’m too lazy, I should be doing something… something… something useful… or something).

Ok, now that this is off my chest – 2nd rule of gold: “Control thy expenditures“.

This is logical follow-up to the first law. How else can I save at least 10% of my income, unless I control my expenses. I think this rule much more easier said than done, especially for me, because I’m quite an impulsive buyer by nature and it takes real self-control not to spend everything I earn. Unfortunately I must admit that I’ve been doing this until the beginning of this year, and not only spending what I earned, but I’ve spent much more than that. That is so easily accomplished by credit cards and loans. Now is the eating time for the soup I’ve cooked together for quite some time.

I believe people are different, but one way for me, and possibly for others too, to control my expenses is to make budget and think at least 3 days before buying something more expensive and non-mandatory. Something like new stereo, computer etc. Fact is, that the more you earn, the more you can spend too. It’s so easy to get a ‘better lifestyle’, when your salary increases, but you really don’t need that. You can just as easily solve your natural problems on 100$ toilet seat as on 1000$ seat. Of course the 1000$ seat is more comfortable, but do you really need it? Same thing goes with everything we use or consume – food, clothes, cars etc.