The key to living well is less about how much you make and more about how much you spend. The highest contributing factor to the number of foreclosures, bankruptcies and the associated marital stress and its consequences, is the lack of discipline and the “I want it now” syndrome. In a world of fast food, quickie marts, a pill for any malady, instant anything and microwaveable everything, we have come to expect all of our whims and wants to be immediately satisfied. It’s a world of instant gratification where credit card companies can’t print the cards fast enough and the average household has more credit card debt than ever before. We just can’t seem to survive without these gadgets that somehow we survived without up to this point. We have become a bunch of insecure, immature adults that feel we have to have stuff to be someone. God forbid you leave the house without your cell phone, PDA or your day planner – you might as well leave without your pants.
Living well has little to do with the gadgets we have, the vehicles we drive or the money we spend. I am not advocating an Amish lifestyle nor do I fail to see the virtues of technology, but when our lifestyle and technology drive us to spend more than we make, it becomes a problem.
The Barbequian philosophy on finance is very simple: with very few exceptions, if you can’t pay cash for it, you can’t afford it – so don’t get it. On the other hand, if it is important to you, plan for it, budget for it and appreciate and enjoy it when it is rightfully yours – when you have earned it (an obscure concept these days).
Living well means doing the things you love to do and still having a $20 bill in your pocket just in case you happen by an inviting bakery or a coffee shop. It means balancing your lifestyle and your job so you can do the things you love today and still prepare for tomorrow. The beauty of Barbequia is that nobody but you decides where that balance is, and while the more we simplify, the more we experience the financial and emotional freedom, you have to see that for yourself and progress toward that at your own pace. There are no certificates, diplomas of recognition, standards to meet or curricula to assimilate in Barbequia – you just get there by enjoying the journey and implementing the lessons along the way.