It may seem like the drum I’m beating is boring and pointless. “Don’t buy this, don’t buy that. Save here, save there.” Well the reason I try to say the same things over and over is because they work. Spending like you mean it works, plain and simple.
I am writing this blog post from 20,000 feet in the air on a flight from Boston to Phoenix. My wife and I had been saving up for a vacation to somewhere we had never been before, and the time finally came to make our dreams a reality.
I think it’s important to share experiences, both good and bad. And moving forward I want to give you all a more candid approach to my life and my financial decisions. So here we go.
Our Best Life
Right now, my wife and I are making our way to Hawaii for an exciting vacation adventure. We love to travel to new places. For me, I love to experience different ways of living. Traveling to different parts of the US, and around the globe, fill me with excitement as even some of the simplest tasks as buying groceries or checking into a hotel can be interesting experiences.
Our trip to Hawaii has been a long time coming. Ever since my wife saw Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, she’s been convinced that Hawaii is paradise. So when COVID-19 put a damper on travel, we decided to visit Hawaii as soon as travel bans were lifted…and here we are.
Did I Spend a Lot of Money?
I’ll be honest, Hawaii isn’t the cheapest destination. If we wanted to go somewhere cheaper, we could have stayed at a Motel 6 in the middle of nowhere for a “getaway”. There’s nothing wrong with that type of vacation, but we want to explore what this world has to offer.
Now our trip didn’t just happen. We didn’t just decide one day that we wanted to go to Hawaii and just like that we were on our way. Larger vacations (which I consider to be anything that you need a plane for) require a bit more planning. In our case, about 6 months of planning.
So What Did the Planning Look Like?
First, we knew our values. We both value the excitement and adventure that traveling brings, so that helped us choose what we did and didn’t want to spend money on. We both see excitement and adventure as going and experiencing new things, whether that be seeing, trying, or, you guessed it, tasting!
Second, we cut out spending that didn’t enhance the excitement and adventure. We feel that getting around, sleeping, and eating (in most cases) are pretty routine experiences, so we tried to find the cheapest accommodations possible. We are renting the cheapest car we can find, taking the cheapest flights between islands, staying in cheap hostels and motels, and buying groceries instead of going out to eat all the time.
Third, we reviewed experiences available in Hawaii and chose those that are almost exclusively available there. We chose to see the lava fields, take a helicopter tour, and snorkel with manta rays. We are also planning on hiking and taking in the new scenery, taste testing some local cuisines (from the cheaper spots), and even surfing!
Spending Your Way
This may not seem like a dream vacation to you. You may say, “You aren’t staying at the Four Seasons and sitting out on the beach?” Shortly put, no. That’s not what I value. That not what excites me.
It may be what you are looking for, and that’s the beauty looking at expenses this way. Two people can go to the same place and have two totally different experiences based on what they value. Someone may be more excited to soak up the sun. Personally, I burn way too quick to test my luck at the beach, so I find excitement other ways.
Travel aside, you can see how easy it is to do what you want to do in this life. By spending money only on what aligns with your values, you can have life-fulfilling experiences (or purchases, if you’re in to that) more frequently. I was telling my coworkers that I was going to Hawaii for over 2 weeks and they couldn’t believe it. They probably thought I was spending a fortune, but in truth, I’m saving on the biggest costs – food and hotels – so I can have a longer trip and see more of what Hawaii has to offer. I don’t mind bunking with a few random people. In fact, I see it as a new opportunity to meet different people, which I think is awesome. So in a way, I’m saving money and having a better time.
Final Thoughts
While I may come off a bit cheap, sometimes I do spend money believe it or not. I think money is meant to be spent. The point I want to stress the most, and the point that I try to live by, is to spend where it counts the most for you.
For me, I don’t mind spending money on vacations and traveling because I value having those experiences. Knowing that I would rather spend my money in those areas, I really try to stretch dollars in other areas. I save money on breakfast, buy meat in bulk, choose my streaming services carefully, among other avenues to save as much as I can between travel “expeditions”.
I hope you can start (or continue) to spend money on what you value and save money on things that you don’t. If you continue to do this, I fully believe you will be able to life your best life.
If you are interested getting started with your financial journey, I suggest you start here.
Happy spending!
-The Spendgineer
Sounds like a great idea. Thanks for your input.