Today was one of my days off, and with the kids having one more week before school starts, I took my two kids and two of their friends to the waterslides. Their friends had free passes, we brought some snacks and water, and other than gas it was shaping up to be a pretty inexpensive day. And we had a blast. They had some new waterslides the kids were excited to try, and I was right there going down them too. Then came lunch. Four poutines and a cheeseburger and fries: $70. Three years ago, I probably would have paid it and never given it another thought. But since starting my investing journey, I’ve noticed I look at spending differently. Later I saw families pulling coolers out and thought… Why didn’t I do that? We could have packed five lunches for a fraction of the cost, brought home whatever we didn’t eat, and most importantly… We wouldn’t have sacrificed anything. Same waterslides. Same friends. Same laughs. Same day together. I’m not interested in budgeting every dollar or sacrificing experiences with my family just so I can invest more. But I am much more interested in value than I was three years ago. Could I get the same experience for less? Could I do something slightly differently next time and save another $20, $30 or $40? Because those little amounts add up, and if I can find them without giving anything up, that’s a little more money we can save and invest while still enjoying life today. For me, that’s been one of the unexpected benefits of becoming more financially literate. Has learning more about money changed how you look at the things you spend it on?
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21 Comments
Binette Pierre@papabinzz · 9d
I think you did just fine . Do you go every week ? Once a year ? Yes expensive food but you had fun 😎 And probably the kids and yourself enjoyed a great day . The waterslides were great . Tickets were free 😊 Saving is a great thing. But those slides are there because people buy tickets ( yours were free ) the food pays for the parks expenses. They employ people that live out of it and gives them maybe the possibility to also eat and invest for the future . That 70$ goes a long way 😉
J Z @jacks · 8d
Being cheap to go on a fun little vacation won't make you billionaire. Yall so called investors need to chill and don't worry about every single penny you spend
DM @dmomo · 9d
I think if a packed meal isn't a burden to carry and isn't a lost social opportunity for your kids, then it's a win. I also think that we (as people that love to save and invest) can go overboard on occasion. I would personally just budget the trip into my monthly expenditures and be happy with the memories. Either way, a day with your beautiful family is a win.
Canadian Investor@canadianinvestor · 9d
I don't know sometimes the experience is everything. Could you do it for less absolutely but sometimes its eating the crappy food with your friends at the place that is part of the experience. Everything is a trade off and different things mean more to different people but my oldest still talks about the crappy burgers he shared with his friends years ago at one outting I took him and his friends. They sat at their own table and the laughter they had making fun of it is a memory I cherish more than the money I spent to take them. Could I have save money opening a cooler and passing around sandwiches absolutely would I have that same memory or would he it would be different. 🤷♂️
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