Being frugal all the time can cost you plenty in the form of memories. Life is too short to not splurge a little for memorable experiences, even if it means being less frugal and paying extra for special activities or events. There are 365 days in the year. Out of all those days, how many days will you actually remember a year from now?
Why not schedule, dare I say PLAN, to make more memories going forward?
Growing up frugal or cheap is usually a result of necessity or to make it on what money you have. For many, this was the case when we were young and just getting started as adults in the real world. The issue I want to address is when people (me) tend to carry this attitude too far into their adulthood at the expense of making more and better memories.
Looking for the best deals is a way of life. Think of all the websites that have been established to help find those deals: Craigslist, Expedia, Groupon, Ebay, Stubhub, etc. These are all resources that frugal people like me take advantage of in order to save money. My point is to not be so frugal/cheap as to look for the cheapest seat or destination. Grab great seats at a decent price. If they are more expensive than usual, they are likely to be worth it!
I went to two concerts this summer at Wrigley Field with my wife and another couple – we had a great time at both. We also found great ticket deals for both. However, the deals were vastly different. For the Blake Shelton concert, we bought 4 tickets for $99 total and sat in the 200 section. WE GOT A GREAT DEAL, ONLY $25 PER TICKET!
This past Saturday, we saw the Zac Brown Band, and got a great deal too, $100 per ticket (face value on Ebay), but stood in “the pit” only 30 feet from the stage. Being near the band was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The music and singing was WAY better than what we heard from our other seats (watched the band on a huge video screen). We were only several rows of people away from the stage in comparison to the stands (look at the picture above). Unfortunately, I’m usually too cheap to spend $100 for a ticket to an event. I’ve been to plenty of shows, and sporting events, but now I’m wishing I was less frugal and paid up for better seats.
What’s the downside of being less frugal?
We’ll give a little less money to my kids when we die.
I have many clients that have more money than they will spend in their lifetime (in large part because of their frugality). I suggest they “go for it” and be a little less frugual while they still have the opportunity to do so. I know I am going to conscientiously try and mellow my frugal ways and “live a little” more why I still can.
The clock is ticking for all of us, go out and live a little!
Contact me if you would like to talk about spending some money on big events or taking care of your retirement and other planning goals.
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I weirdly struggle with my frugality (cheapness) sometimes, too. I’ll spend 5 minutes at the grocery store trying to figure which bulk package of napkins is the best purchase to make. But then on a whim I’ll buy something for a few hundred bucks that I don’t need at all, rather, I just want to have.