Why Save?

A colleague of mine was told recently by his boss that he had two days to visit his dying mother. She's in North America. He's in Germany. If you haven't made that flight, it's basically a day per trip. If he wanted more time, he could personally hire a replacement, whom he would have to pay himself.

I have long believed in saving, but this was a strong reminder. It was like an extra push on a slowly turning wheel.

Keep saving!

We should save because it gives us options. We should save because we hate being forced into a corner and accepting something just because we're forced to financially. Don't you hate that? That feeling of being stuck? I do.

Once we've saved enough, we have all sorts of choices. Before then, we have few choices.

I asked myself what I would do if in that situation. Right now, I'd probably accept it even though I've saved a bit. But in a few years, I hope to be able to say without much second thought, "Then it's been a pleasure working with you," and quit.

My colleague is in constant financial distress. He's quite open about it. Mortgage. New gadgets. Car loan. Expensive hobbies. The usual story.  He has few choices in this most recent situation. He has few choices in all sorts of situations. I really don't know what he'll do. Sometimes I just want to shake him.

But I don't know the magic words that would get him to change without him just resenting me, so I just try to be a good example and not heap too much praise on his expensive stuff. And I'll write here, to remind you and to remind me to keep at it.

Give yourself options.

Save.