Yesterday, I came across an article on RookieKe’s blog on pricing our desires. In the article, Rookie tackles her friends dilemma, advising him to take a SACCO loan to pay for an iPad. Most financial gurus will frown at this. A loan for a luxurious gadget? Rookie goes ahead and argues her case well, but I am very interested in an area that stood out mostly for me:

Most personal finance gurus teach you to curb your desires, to learn the art of delayed gratification… While a select few can delay gratification for years (or decades maybe), most of us cannot. Does that mean our finances are doomed?

In my opinion, financial success isn’t all about curbing your desires and living a dull life, but about pricing your desires right. You can have anything you want (within your reach of course), but you have to price it right, and be ready to pay the price in full.

And I do agree. Money is tight. It is always tight. We are always worried about it so much that sometimes, we fail to enjoy it. Sometimes we even go to an extend of forgetting to pay ourselves. Forget the bills. When was the last time you took yourself for a spa treat? When was the last time you decided to get yourself something just because you can? It pays to play loose sometimes. It is advised that we be careful when spending money. There is always a tomorrow. But I think money is never really ours. It belongs to the next person. When you have it, get the most out of it. Getting the most out of it for me means not forgetting yourself.

If you look at the money you have spent in the last few months, there is a likelihood that you have a truckload of regrets. That even in your carefulness, you could have done it better, or that it went to unnecessary things.

Play loose sometimes and just spoil yourself. You earn this money. Don’t forget yourself.