3 Essential Money Rules We Should Follow

Winning the lottery or coming into a big inheritance are easy ways to make your bank account look better, but they aren’t the only ways. While many people equate happiness with wealth, the real sign of wealth is leading a happy, healthy life that affords you what you want. If you don’t feel you are there yet, it’s time to learn how to learn what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it. Wealth is relative to happiness, but only to a certain point. Wealth is, however, important when it comes to paying your bills and living comfortably. These three money rules will make your life easier, happier and much more rewarding.

Happiness

You know that saying, “Money does not buy happiness,” but it does buy a lot of really, really awesome stuff. It also helps to pay the mortgage, send you on lavish vacations and never have to worry about your finances again. However, happiness is not created with things. If you are tempted to take a job that pays a lot of money, but makes you miserable, think twice. A job that offers you enough financial freedom to pay your bills, have a little fun and live without financial worry and makes you happy is the better choice. Sure, twice the salary would be nice, but sacrificing your happiness for a few extra dollars when you already make enough is never a good idea. If you can’t afford to pay your bills, however, take the job. You can always look for a job that makes you happier, but at least you won’t have to worry about losing your house or belongings.

How Much is Your Time Worth?

Anyone who is self-employed or whose salary is directly related to the time they spend working – not including scheduled time off, such as weekends and holidays – needs to consider their worth. If you make $100 per hour working from home, but still need to do household chores, consider whether or not you enjoy those chores. For example, the lawn needs mowing and mowing the lawn makes you wish you were giving birth to triplets – without epidural. If it takes you two hours to mow the lawn yourself, it costs you the $200 you lost by not working those two hours. If you hire someone else to mow the lawn for $25 per hour, you earned $150. Do the math and consider how much your time is worth before you partake in activities less than thrilling to you.

Don’t Keep Up with the Joneses

Reality television lovers will tell you it is hard enough to keep up with the Kardashians; there simply isn’t enough time to keep up with the Joneses down the street. Okay, so they have a luxury SUV and a luxury convertible in their three car garage, a perfectly manicured lawn and a brand new outdoor kitchen with a brick pizza oven and a huge tropical swimming pool complete with a waterfall, hot tub and a 60-inch flat panel television playing NCAA football over the outdoor bar. While that is all very, very nice, chances are that the Joneses have plenty of debt to go with their awesome outdoor lifestyle. When you are retired and living the life of luxury because you lived below your means, the Joneses will still be paying off their credit card debt. The moral of the story is that you should make friends with the Joneses, not try to be them. Swim in their pool, watch their television and live below your means. An added benefit: you don’t have to clean up after everyone when the party is over.