Is life about the journey or the destination? Both are important. And the good news is that celebrating your journey can actually help you reach your destination. You need goals to achieve financial freedom. Every time you learn a new money-saving tip and put it into practice, every day you stick to your budget, you move one step closer to your dream of financial independence.But you don't have to forgo all of life's simple pleasures while working towards your goals.
Life happens moment by moment. Sometimes it's the little pleasures that make all the difference. In fact, celebrating in the here-and-now will help you reach your goals in the future. The more you enjoy the journey now, the more motivated you will become to do the hard work needed to stay on track and reach your ultimate goals.
Build Celebration Into Your Budget. There are many ways to enjoy yourself that cost little or no money. Spending a little can bring you big rewards. The trick is to build your “celebrations” right into your budget. Try fitting in even a small amount, say $5, to use purely for enjoyment. That will accomplish three things: First, because the celebration money is in your budget, when you are ready to spend it, you will know that you can afford it. Second, you don't have to fall off the budgeting wagon to spend a little money on yourself. Knowing that you are sticking to your budgeting discipline makes it easier to keep on being disciplined. Third, you don't have to feel guilty when you spend the money on yourself because it's already planned and accounted for.
How Budgeting for Celebration Can Prevent Expensive Impulse Shopping. When you're feeling tired or stressed, you might be more likely to feel an urge to make an unplanned and expensive purchase. You know you don't want to do that! You want to stick to your plan. That's where budgeting for celebration will be a big help. Instead of impulsively buying a costly item, remind yourself that you are entitled to celebrate your journey – that, in fact, you have budgeted specifically for that purpose. Then let your imagination go. Think about the amount that you set aside in your budget for small pleasures and about the different things that you could buy with that amount. For example, if you budgeted $5, you might buy a cup of coffee and sit for a while people-watching in a comfortable cafe. If you love to color, you might buy a new coloring book. Maybe you would like a few fresh flowers to bring color and joy into your home.
There is something about thinking within a specific framework that sends your creativity into overdrive. Once you start brainstorming about all the pleasurable things you could do with your $5, you may be surprised at how many great ideas pop into your mind. Then all you have to do is pick the one that appeals to you the most at the moment. You are likely to find that you get so much enjoyment and relaxation from your simple coffee shop visit, or small bouquet of bright fresh flowers, or whatever simple item you choose, that the urge to make an expensive impulse purchase goes away on its own.
How Do You Want to Celebrate? The more you use this system of budgeting for small celebrations, the more you will come up with new ideas for how you would enjoy spending the budgeted amount. These ideas are likely to arise spontaneously throughout the day, at times when you aren't able to act on them immediately. Keep a list of these items as they occur to you. You can keep the list on your phone or in a journal. Then when you want something to brighten your day, you can look at the list. A special item is sure to jump out at you as exactly what you need at that moment.
