On the Tin

There are always things worth spending money on now. Building Capital defers gratification because you put the money to work. You don’t get to use it. You don’t get to spend it. It works for others, which is why it gets paid. “Gratification” is probably a harsh word, because it implies that all spending is frivolous. Financial decisions are often really hard. The ones I struggle with most are when I feel like a bad person. Grappling with good and bad and all the baggage those words carry. Deeply emotional decisions. I hate it when money dips its fingers into choices where constraints are placed like – “we just can’t afford it”. That is particularly hard when there is money there. If you are living hand to mouth, the constraint is external – “can’t afford it” means what it says on the tin. If you are living off the fruit of Trees, there is always the option of cutting the Tree down and returning to hand to mouth living. For those living at and around the minimum required for a decent life, it can be impossible. Having an honest conversation about the minimum requirement is hard – because we are constantly buffeted with aspirational consumption. It is even harder when the choice involves others. It is far easier to be hard on yourself.