I have always been careful with my money. I would never spend money on something frivolous. I would rarely ever go out for dinner; I frequented cheap movie theatre and almost never paid full price for a movie. Clothes that I bought were always second hand and if not they were definitely on sale. I remember the first time I spent $20 on a pair of jeans - I felt like I was becoming materialistic.
I often find myself wondering "can i get a better deal?" or "what else could I do with that amount of money?" . The other day I went to buy a Hot Chocolate from Starbucks and after pondering the purchase I decided to buy 2 liters of juice instead because it would last longer and was cheaper. And if I buy more than $20 on myself I get real buyers remorse because I'm just never sure if I spent my money wisely. By trying to not care about money I have actually started to value it too much because I'm concerned about wasting it.
I was thinking about taking art lessons today and the first thing out of my mouth was, "Well, it's probably too much money." But maybe, just maybe, art lessons might be a really good thing for my soul that has been a bit displaced since moving, maybe I would find it really freeing to paint and watch the world around me, and I might even just get a kick out of mixing colors and creating. So maybe money should be only part of decisions and not the deciding factor. Taking art lessons could actually be an investment.
5 comments:
Thinking about money stresses me out, so I like to let CS do my thinking for me:
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them... For many of us the great obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for money, but in our fear—fear of insecurity.
(I wasn't trying to suggest that you taking art lessons was a bad thing, I just was thinking about this recently. Art lessons sound awesome.)
Haha, looking at that bolded section and looking at your post and how it's about you wanting to take art lessons really makes me look like I'm trying to be an uppity, self-righteous jerk. I'm not, Lis. We were just talking about all of this stuff at our little Life Groupy thing the other night, and CS is such a smart guy.
Daytona: not offended at all. i think that C.S Lewis actually helps to find a balance between not giving and giving, about how to think about money as an important thing we are given and what to do with it. i think that there still could be space for art lessons after supporting charities and such things but that charities are more important than getting to go away every weekend, having a nice car, buying a house right away and other things people in my peers are doing. I like C.S. too. I'm reading a book right now where he gets quoted all the time. It's great.
I agree.
On another note, I've probably run into the girls that moved into your apartment upwards of a dozen times, but each time, I immediately forget what they look like and who they are, because I think, "Aw, whatever, they're just staying in Joel and Lisa's apartment for now. Joel and Lisa will be back soon."
:) you should try and get them to move out in August next year and then...maybe we can move back in. we'll see what happens but we sure miss having your lovely neighbourly faces.
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