We all know how it feels to run short on money.
It’s stressful. It’s distressing. And it makes life feel complicated, hopeless, and confusing.
There’s a lot of discussion that goes on about the fact that money actually does have at least a certain measure of power to buy more happiness.
(And with it, perhaps also a bit of peace of mind—and maybe even a protective shield against a certain level of depression, anxiety, and an overall sense of life hopelessness.)
With that being said, it’s also true that saving money, spending less, and being more responsible with your financial resources can yield similarly positive results (albeit at a level that’s a bit less glamorous).
Let’s talk about that.
1. Saving Money Puts You In Control Of Your Finances
We sometimes spend money as a means to try to be happier.
Of course, there are some things we need to spend money on.
We need to pay bills, buy food, pay for car insurance, etc.
However, when we enter the realm of ‘unnecessary spending,’ it’s true that we often use these habits as a means to pursue more happiness in life.
For example, it’s a lot of fun to eat out at a fancy restaurant.
But it’s also really expensive.
Well, with that being said, it’s also true that you can achieve quite a bit of extra happiness by making a detailed budget plan and controlling your financial destiny.
However, this is more difficult to do.
Thus, people tend to do it less—and thus, it doesn’t tend to get the appreciation that spending extra money tends to get.
2. Balancing Your Budget Gives You Hope For The Future
As humans, we all want to have hope that our futures will be productive, positive, and successful.
We don’t want to believe that we’re headed for a dead end in life.
And when you take responsibility for your own finances, and you really start budgeting carefully, guess what happens?
You end up creating more hope for your own financial future—without needing any extra resources.
Granted, extra resources are helpful.
And that leads us to our next point.
3. Budgeting Can Help You To Leverage Your Way To Better Income
We all have a certain amount of money coming in.
For some people, it’s a lot.
And for some, it’s a little.
If you want to be successful in life, it’s in your best interest to make sure that you make enough money to support your lifestyle while also putting away a little bit for a rainy day later on, when the need arises.
It’s also a good idea to save up for retirement—to make sure that you’ll have the resources you need in your elder years.
In order to get up to this income level, you may need to sacrifice some things.
For example, you may need to create polished resumes, go to job interviews, or even start your own business.
This all requires time, energy, and resources.
And this is where saving money can actually help you to create a better financial future for yourself.
If you can find a way to spend a little extra money on the process of furthering your own financial future, instead of spending it on impulse purchases or things that will just get you short-term happiness—well, you stand to create a better situation for yourself.
Conclusion
Listen, none of this is perfect.
In a perfect world, we would all have enough money to go around to pay our bills, save for retirement, and get the things we need in order to live a thriving life.
But the world isn’t a perfect place.
And as such, it’s in our best interest to take responsibility for these things on our own.
And like it or not, it would appear that saving money not only contributes to a better life, but also a more successful future and more happiness.
