Is How You Use Your Money Aligned With Your Values?

Is How You Use Your Money Aligned With Your Values?

By Mike Desepoli, Heritage

A hamster in a wheel.

Have you ever watched a hamster running in a wheel? All that running, all that effort, day after day after day … But the poor little critter never really gets anywhere, does he?

Many of us feel the same way about our money.

More specifically, we feel that way about the work we do to get that money. We spend forty hours every week on a wheel, running after a paycheck. And then, first thing Monday morning, we’re back on the wheel, and the whole thing starts over again.

Many folks just keep repeating this cycle, over and over, until they finally retire. They think that stepping off the wheel just isn’t an option because they have bills to pay, college expenses to save for, and a dream to be “financially set” before retiring from work. It begs the question if he we use our money is aligned with our values.

How much is enough?

These are all persuasive arguments that keep people on the wheel. And the hope is that someday, you’ll be able to stop running and enjoy the fruits of all that hard work.

Unfortunately, more often than not, “someday” never comes. If your focus in your work and in your financial planning is just having enough money, you’ll never feel like you have enough. There’s always another dollar to chase, another way to economize so that you can save more.

But for what? Is having more and more money, in and of itself, something that you really value? Does having more make running on the wheel worth it?

You might think that this “never enough” mentality ends once a person retires. In fact, it just transitions into a new, related worry: “Am I going to run out of money?” Again, that “someday” gets pushed back in favor of more saving, more super-conservative living. You might not be working any more, but you’re still just chasing after money.

The wind in your sails.

At the end of the day, your money is not the shore we’re sailing for. It’s not the sea you’re sailing on. It’s not even the boat you’re steering.

Your money is the sail. It’s the tool you use to get where you want to go.

And the wind in that sail is your values.

Just like a good sailor learns how to maneuver the sails to catch the most wind, aligning what’s most important to you with your financial resources is the key to successful financial planning.

So instead of asking yourself if you have enough money, or if you will run out of money, ask yourself a better question:

Am I managing my money in a way that’s improving my life?

We don’t want you just to “have enough money.” We want you to live the best life possible with the money you have.

That starts with thinking about what’s really important to you. The people whom you love. The causes that are dear to your heart. The activities that keep you feeling fit and full of energy. The hobbies that put your unique skills to their highest uses. The opportunities for learning and self-discovery that enrich your understanding of the world and of yourself. The wisdom that you will pass down to your children and grandchildren so that they live their best possible lives as well.

We believe that aligning your financial plan with these values is every bit as important as analyzing your tax situation or managing your investments. Come in and see how our interactive tools can you help plan for your whole life and get more from your money than just more money.

For more resources to help you align your money with your goals, and increase your return on life visit our video library.

Teaching Your Children Good Money Values

Teaching Your Children Good Money Values

Mike Desepoli, Heritage Financial Advisory Group

 

The book The Financially Intelligent Parent: 8 Steps to Raising Successful, Generous, Responsible Children, by Eileen and Jon Gallo, focuses on the idea that the way in which parents spend money sends messages to their children about their money values and priorities. It helps you become more aware of the values communicated to children through your spending. It provides some great ideas about how to give children the messages you want them to receive. If you are traveling down this road, here are a few ideas.

 

Become a charitable family

Teach your children to be generous through your volunteer activities. If you do service work individually, talk about what you are doing and the people for whom you are doing it. If you can, find opportunities to volunteer as a family. Also, when you get requests for charitable donations, discuss the goals of each charity.  Have your children help you decide where to give. As a result of introducing the ideas of service and giving, you can teach your children that they have the power to make life better for others.

 

Encourage self-motivation

On their blog, the Gallos refer to the book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Its author suggests that internally motivated people are happier than those who rely on external motivations. As a result, the Gallos suggest that parents can help their children become happier adults by relying less on external motivators.  External motivators would be like paying children to do chores. Instead, focus more on internal motivators, like using chores as a means of helping children gain self-respect. It can also teach them to take pride in their work.

 

Develop a work ethic

The primary work of most children is school. It is important to encourage them to ‘do their best’ as opposed to ‘be the best.’ In addition to taking responsibility for their schoolwork, children should be assigned age-appropriate chores. Also, encourage them to take on part-time employment when they get older. A good work ethic is learned behavior, and parents are the best role models.

 

Your behavior sends clear messages to your children. They learn money values by seeing what you spend money on and how you treat others. It’s important to teach children that money is something they have and not something they are. Their net worth and their self-worth are entirely different things.

For more information on how to teach your kids good money values, and a whole bunch of other cool topics keep an eye on our Blog

About Heritage

Heritage Financial Advisory Group is located in Port Jefferson, New York. We provide investment management and financial planning strategy solutions to individuals, families, and business owners. For more on our Wealth Management Services visit our website.