matching your spending plan to your season of life
It’s finally feeling like fall (maybe even winter suddenly?) and I am here for it. I love the chilly air, the dreary skies, and the shorter days. I’m thrilled at the prospect of walking outside and not getting a sunburn or sweating. Fall and winter are my seasons. On the other hand, at the first sign of cold, my husband becomes the grinch. He hates the cold. Fortunately for him, these are just seasons, and as seasons do, they will pass and will make way for warmer weather once again. Seasons are just that – temporary demarcations of time reflecting a particular importance - signaling where we are and what’s to come.
Our lives are full of seasons (and not just the weather kind). Seasons often reflect what’s important to us at the time. Before kids, we loved going to restaurants and travelling. Working two jobs was logical. After having kids, we entered a new season – one where having work flexibility reigns supreme, kid and mess-friendly meals at home are the goal, and travelling involves packing a diaper bag for a few hours at the children’s museum.
In this current season of life, our spending plan reflects these goals. We live on less income now than we did before kids, simply because we want to have flexibility to be with them when they are little. Travel isn’t important to us right now when our children are this age – to us, shlepping kids out of town does not sound restful or inspiring.
We can accomplish our goals by being aware of the season we are in. When our children are older and are in school, we might prioritize work differently. We will likely prioritize our spending differently as they take an interest in hobbies. We will want to explore the world with them when they can carry their own bags and aren’t picky eaters. This time will come, and we’ll adjust – knowing all these seasons are temporary.
Your seasons might be based on your family dynamics, goals you are trying to reach, or where you are in life. Your current season may not completely reflect your larger vision, but it fits your present life and allows you get to where you want to go. These are all just temporary moments. Our spending should reflect where we are and what we value now and in the long term – neither one compromising the other.