If I Were Super-duper Wealthy

When discussing some discounts yesterday with a friend, he smirked and replied, “I used to do that, but then I decided to just make more money.” As a talented computer programmer trading up remote work arrangements for increasingly better salary, he has managed to do very well for himself so far in his short life.

I’ve shared the same sentiment as my buddy John. There definitely was a point where my problem wasn’t one of poor budgeting or overspending, rather an income problem. Making it past that line for my wife and I fortunately didn’t require boatloads of cash, as we share simple needs.

We are blessed to live in a country where, generally speaking, the market rewards those who create value. I love creating value, so as long as the world doesn’t collapse I believe wealth will be something to need to manage at some point. When we’re there, I’m certain bartering, wholesale agreements, price comparisons, and credit card rewards will all still be enjoyable activities for me. Not for survival, thankfully. These to me are all acts of responsibility — being mindful, efficient, not wasteful. In the same way we repair and re-purpose before throwing things away. Getting the best deal is also a bit of a game for me. All these reasons for penny-pinching sound a lot better than acting from a poverty-conditioned mindset.