Are you "living for today" or "saving for tomorrow"?
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,670
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From: Santa Monica, CA
Certainly a mix of the two philosophies is the most sensible, because while the present is where you want to have fun, it's not worth it to sacrifice the future. Personally, I believe too many people live paycheck to paycheck, leaving themselves no room for disaster.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 65,827
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From: FCUK
Taking the philosophical view further........
Empty Jar
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full?
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else. The small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.
The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a
dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first - the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
But then... A student then took the jar which the other students and the professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar truly full.
The moral of this tale is:
That no matter how full your life is, there is always room for BEER.
Empty Jar
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full?
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else. The small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.
The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a
dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first - the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
But then... A student then took the jar which the other students and the professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar truly full.
The moral of this tale is:
That no matter how full your life is, there is always room for BEER.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 0
From: Dana Point, CA
We do both.
We contribut aggressively to our 401K's as well as put away some additional, more liquid money every month.
We own our own home and don't have a penny in credit card debt (other than what is paid off at month's end avoided interest charges but getting us airline miles). We're saving aggressively for our wedding so that we won't have to be in debt for that.
At the same time, we still have undergrad. loans. We're seriously considering graduate schools and assume that we'll have to take on some more debt for that.
We spend in some areas (new cars, nice vacation once a year) and save on others (eat at home alot).
For me, finances can cause too much of a stress on me and on my wonderful relationship with my wife to be. I don't ever want us to live beyond our means and get caught in that mess.
It's all the balance. Have fun and enjoy life today, but make sure you save for that rainy day.
We contribut aggressively to our 401K's as well as put away some additional, more liquid money every month.
We own our own home and don't have a penny in credit card debt (other than what is paid off at month's end avoided interest charges but getting us airline miles). We're saving aggressively for our wedding so that we won't have to be in debt for that.
At the same time, we still have undergrad. loans. We're seriously considering graduate schools and assume that we'll have to take on some more debt for that.
We spend in some areas (new cars, nice vacation once a year) and save on others (eat at home alot).
For me, finances can cause too much of a stress on me and on my wonderful relationship with my wife to be. I don't ever want us to live beyond our means and get caught in that mess.
It's all the balance. Have fun and enjoy life today, but make sure you save for that rainy day.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,698
Likes: 0
From: Deptford, New Jersey
As far as my wife and I go saving $ comes first and then we play. Fortunately we are able to save and play. But if hard times should happen alot of toys would go first, the stook being the first .
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,551
Likes: 0
From: USR, NJ
I don't know which catagory we belong to.
We budget our investment and spending.
Investment in our budget has top priority over all non emergency spending.
We invest/save $2500 a month. The rest goes to monthly bills(mortgage, car loans and other long term loans) and spending. Anything left is for vacation. It's looking good.
We took 2 vacation since May and we are on schedule to retire when I'm 49.
My goal is to retire at 40, so, either the market has to do better or I would have to make more.
We budget our investment and spending.
Investment in our budget has top priority over all non emergency spending.
We invest/save $2500 a month. The rest goes to monthly bills(mortgage, car loans and other long term loans) and spending. Anything left is for vacation. It's looking good.
We took 2 vacation since May and we are on schedule to retire when I'm 49.
My goal is to retire at 40, so, either the market has to do better or I would have to make more.
