Sacrifices VS Distractions - Sis



“I done made sacrifices, so many sacrifices
I done gave up so much free time knowing time ain’t free”
Sacrifices
Big Sean ft Migos

Sacrifices can be linked all the way back to the biblical era when families would offer or sacrifice an animal as a religious practices. Sacrifices are a loss or something you give up to achieve another goal. Big Sean describes sacrifices he has made in his hip hop song quoted above while achieving a successful career. It is clear that we all make sacrifices and most likely, they are also a part of your financial journey.

Distractions are anything that takes your attention away from giving your full self into a task. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, at least I remember the song going like that, looking for trade a trade route to India. Quoted below he talks about prevailing over all obstacles to arrive at his goal. We all have distractions in our lives that can set us back on our financial journey.

“By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination” - Christopher Columbus

What do the two have in common? One must be able to distinguish the difference between sacrifices and distractions in our lives. I drive a 2006 Toyota Highlander. I have my second child on the way. Some family members have questioned if I should get a new car. Is a new car a distraction or sacrifice pertaining to my financial goals? To me, it would be a distraction. I don’t need the navigation screen or all the other bells or whistles.  The key to me, is that I am not sacrificing my families safety for financial gain. My car is very safe, well taken care of, and I can trust it will get me from point A-To-B. A new car would be a financial distraction.

This is the question I ask myself when pondering financial choices. You can apply this to a candy bar at the store or buying fresh veggies for your family. Ask yourself, am I making a sacrifice or is this a distraction? Bro’s wife buys store brands and in bulk to save. This is her sacrifice to saving her family money on a weekly grocery bill. She is not distracted by commercials or brands, but she will spend extra on fresh veggies to help nourish her kids. Bro’s family has ask where can we make sacrifices and what items are distractions at the grocery store? This questions can be applied to any financial decision.

Small sacrifices now will add up to living  your desired life. One must not let distractions set you back or get in your way. Ask yourself the simple question, is this worth the sacrifice or a distraction?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FU vs FEveryone Money - Bro

The concept of FU* money is nothing new . The general idea is that you have enough money that you can tell someone (like a co-worker, boss, or bosses boss) FU and still be okay financially. Recently I stumbled across the concept of FEveryone money. FU money and FEveryone money might sound similar but the magnitude is different. FEveryone money is FU money taken to the next level. FU money is almost the same thing as an emergency fund. In a way it is an emergency fund on steroids. This money gives you room to speak your mind. If for some reason you need to quit your job FU money allows you to say “FU”. Eventually you will need to figure something out but you have the breathing room to figure things out. As your FU money grows the number of options you have grows. Starting out you might need to find a similar job a few months after saying FU. As your FU powers grow you might need to still get a similar job but a year or two after saying FU. Eventually your FU cushion might grow to the
Read more

Why I FI - Bro

Image
My wife and I were out with some friends when the topic of FIRE came up. We are open with these friends and we informed them that we hope to be FI in 5 years or less. You could almost see their minds blow. They simply could not wrap their head around the fact it was possible much less why you would want to be FI. (It did not help matters that I referred to it as retiring early instead of financially independent) After this conversation it got me thinking about why I want to be FI. The first and foremost reason for FI is the security. My job is our family’s only source of income. If for some reason I lose my job then my family needs something they can fall back on. As our investments grow they become the equivalent of someone working full time at Colorado’s minimum wage*. Instead of being a one income family we are now a two income family with the second income is continually growing. The second reason for FI is optionality. Having a large amount of savings simply allows us to
Read more

Surviving VS Thriving - Sis

Image
We are all trying to survive, everyone is just trying to do the best they can. I don’t want to only survive though, I want to thrive. I want to live a life of passion and purpose. I want to have more good days than bad. Simple changes and one’s mindset can help promote a life of thriving. Thankful Happiness Reactive Ingenuitive Value Educated … like what I did there!  Thankful : I wake up every morning trying to be thankful. Some mornings are harder than others but before I get out of bed I try to think of one thing I am thankful for. It helps set my mindset positively and shows gratitude to the things around me. To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. -Reba McEntire Happiness: Turn that frown upside down. You alone can only create your own happiness. Choose a life filled with joys, as small or big as they may be. Learn to deal with and conquer challenges and find happiness in all areas of life. My mission
Read more