Why you should be both...
Are you a spender or a saver?
Some of you, like me, will proudly say "Saver". We get pleasure from watching our bank account grow. The pay-check comes in and we smile as the total of our account gets a little higher.
Others will have a gleam in your eye as you say "Spender". When your pay-check comes in you are ready with multiple ideas about what to spend it on. After all, that is what money is for, right?
It’s not too hard to see that there are benefits to both. Savers are generally in a more secure financial position. But spenders are generally more relaxed, enjoying the benefits of their purchases.
What it comes down to is your mindset. Savers see money as an “end in itself”, while spenders consider money a “means to an end”. Most of us are really a combination of both, with a leaning towards one side. Knowing your tendency can help you understand your financial habits and goals.
A couple of years ago I wondered, what would I do if I had an extra $10,000, no strings attached? As a saver, I struggled to come up with an answer better than “Save it…?”. I realised my saver-mentality was stronger than ever. I also realised that I did not have a natural investment mindset. While I could not come up with an answer straight away, I realised that a wise investment could, in time, afford me a return.
An investment mindset achieves the goals of both savers and spenders.
If you are a saver, what would you do with an extra $10,000, if you had to spend it?
If you are a spender, what is the highest amount you have aimed at saving?
For both savers and spenders, how might you develop more of an investment mindset?
Here are three ways that I am developing an investment mindset:
Learning about it by tuning into financial and growth-focused podcasts and books
Setting small goals for myself. For example, investing in higher quality items that won’t break and cost me more to keep replacing.
Thinking and planning my financial future – What do I want my life to look like? What skills will I need? What beliefs and habits must I develop? How can I go about investing in that?
How will you round out your financial identity? What’s the next step you are going to take?
Comentarios