Ever since I was quite young, I have been enamoured with the idea of scoring the best deal. I have been obsessed with this idea of getting the best bang for my buck. Some have called me frugal at times, and yet I still stand by my thriving ability that has allowed me to save thousands of dollars by utilising sales, shopping around and keeping my eyes peeled for opportunities.
From the age of six, I can recall waking at the crack of dawn to accompany my father to garage sales when we were on holidays in North Queensland. With dust covered hands, I would spend hours on a Saturday morning peeling through items big and small. I looked among their trash, and yet I was always able to find a treasure. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In a lot of ways, this framed my financial mindset growing up.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” This is what I have lived by.
Maybe it’s the dream holiday for your family, a brand-new watch you’ve been hanging out for, or even a great deal on a new phone (iPhone X anyone?)—it’s such a rewarding feeling when you know you have saved money on something of value.
The truth is, we spend a lot of our time working hard to support our family and our lifestyle. Most people would agree that there is a certain beauty, and value to that.
It wasn’t until my early twenties when I realised that a lot of the ‘beauty’ and value that I had seen in my finances, had been placed in the material things or purchases in the present. Obviously, I valued my family and my lifestyle, however I operated my finances out of a tunnel vision mindset.
To reiterate: I learnt that as the beholder, I needed to place my value (the ‘beauty’) on not just the money I could save in the present on a deal, but what could I do to set myself up for the future.
Setting a Financial Planning Goal
To reference another supposed Benjamin Franklin quote, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
I’m of the opinion that it’s never too early to start planning. And whilst I’m not personally earning high net wealth yet, I know there are things I can set in motion now to be future-aware.
Recently, our marketing manager Fabs and myself went along to Business Squared, and had the privilege of hearing four times best-selling author and digital influencer, Gary Vaynerchuk, speak. What was delivered with a humble self-confidence, were these words:
“We play the game where we want to achieve short-term success to impress others when we should be thinking long term.”
There is power in the plan! In addition to this, there is power in partnership. When you come to a humble understanding and seek the help you need to organise your finances, that’s where the beauty and value is. The value is in the long term, especially for those of high net wealth.
Reviewing your Goals
Having financial goals should be your first step, yet what should never leave your checklist is the task of reviewing your goals. Financial check-ups are the bumper rails on the alley of your life journey. It is impossible to separate your personal life from your finances; they go hand in hand.
Whether your goal is buying your first home or your sixth investment property, partnering with a trusted financial professional can be the key to a successful financial, and life journey.
Remember, today is the best day for you to take your finances by the reins. It’s never too late to make the decision to shape your future by shaping your today.
If reading this raised any questions for your finances – like it did for myself writing it! – then please feel free to get in contact with our team. Our financial planners are highly trained to develop the strategies that are about more than just investing money.
