Saving Your Money: What My Younger Self Needs to Know

"Don't buy anything else; you don't need anything"

There is no telling how many times I've heard these words.

These. Exact. Words.

I can remember it so clearly. I'd be walking around the store, looking up and down the shelves at various things I desired. Once enough time had passed and I had narrowed down my choices, I would pace back and forth looking between two different things I desperately wanted: only having the money for one of them. My friends would be standing behind me, rolling their eyes, telling me that I shouldn't buy either of them because I really didn't need either of them. Still, I would be holding these things, frantically trying to decide which one I was going to buy, spending longer in the store than I needed to and ending up making a last minute decision to finally give in and checkout, burning through the money that I had so difficultly earned.

Funnily enough, my tastes changed as I became older but the transactions never did. I was big into legos, nerf guns, clothing, shoes, surfboards, and now I'm in to tattoos. It really got bad when I became old enough to drive and started working. I had freedom and an income to buy whatever I pleased. Then, I got a debit card...and could buy anything I wanted online. Instant accessibility for a young man with no regard for saving his money made matter worse. I would buy in excess and end up not needing any of the things I bought. Boy, am I paying for it now as a college student.

Growing up, it's not something we think about, at least as guys. We really only care about who's playing tonight, what's for dinner, and how we're going to ask that girl out we've been eyeing in class. When the topic of money comes up it's always in the context of, "how much do tickets to the game cost, who's paying for the food, and girlfriends are expensive but dang she's cute". It's never, how to be responsible or forward-minded.

We don't really worry about saving our money, but of course there are exceptions to every rule. There are girls who are spenders and guys who are savers. There are in fact, many guys who are financially responsible when they're young. Still, the majority of us are idiots and spend cash like it's going out of style.

So what does my younger self need to know about saving money?

DO IT.

Be a saver.

And it doesn't even mean you have to be scrooge and save every paycheck you ever get. It doesn't mean you stop every time you see a penny on the sidewalk and grab it. It doesn't mean you don't spend money on commodities and things that are fun. It doesn't mean you can't buy a pair of shoes, or a new hoodie, or that super cool surfboard, or even take that girl out on a date.

What I'm saying is to be responsible. Be aware of the future that you're creating by spending. I wasn't. I spent thousands of dollars on shoes, a few more on surfboards, and even a few more on tattoos. I can't tell you how much money has passed through my hands that I wish I still had. I should have bought a couple pairs of shoes, not collected fifty. I really only need one surfboard, not five. And I DO NOT regret any of my tattoos but the cost of them did not make it easier to afford college. I love each and every piece I have tattooed on my body but maybe I should have thought about the ripple effect that paying for them would have on me as a student. I would be having a much easier time paying for college right now if I had saved my money, put it in my savings account, and never touched it unless it was being used for school.

For my fellow Office fans out there: "Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, "would an idiot do that?" And if they would, I do not do that thing."

-Dwight

He nailed it. Don't be an idiot. Save your money. It's not worth it. It took me too long to realize that the things I was buying were not important. At the core of this, it's a heart issue. By no means are legos, shoes, surfboards, or tattoos bad things in and of themselves. All I'm saying is don't be so caught up in the things you can buy that you miss out on the truly valuable things. The new Kobe's are gonna be trashed after basketball season, the newest iPhone is going to be obsolete next year, and the shine on your surfboard is going to wear off.

How stupid is it to worship the creation when you have the power to create? How dumb is it to worship the creation when you can know the Creator?

Live life. Create.

Create friendships, relationships, art, music, plans, moments, dreams, memories, whatever it may be, but most importantly, create an intimate relationship with Christ.

Don't be materialistic. Don't worry about the things of this world, because they fade away (2nd Corinthians 4:18). Life is way too short to be concerned with the newest phone, the coolest shoes, and the popular clothes. Forget them. Save your money, don't be an idiot, and care about the things that matter.