Do You Ever Reward Yourself With Consumption?

[VicFountain]

I noticed I've been delaying consumption for a couple of years now. I use a Chinese 100$ phone, wear clothes I bought 6 years ago, have no car, and generally speaking I don't consume shit.

I don't have social media/Netflix either because that's an even worse kind of consumption. You consume stuff you can't even see in the real world. What's the ROI there? Just some neurons firing in your brains and forming useless neural pathways. At least if you buy a physical product, you can own it and see it physically. But consuming digital content is the worst in my opinion (unless we're talking about learning material or non-fiction stuff).

I've been wanting to get tattoos for a while and now that I saved up a few thousand euros I can afford it, however, I decided to postpone it again. Been postponing it since when I was 16 and I'm 22 now. This shows some discipline but I must say constantly delaying the reward is making me feel sick at this point. I think I got to the extreme point of depriving myself of any kind of reward for my efforts.

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do". I've read a quote on a thread that says "there are those who have a lot of money and those who spend a lot of money, but you rarely find people who have both the traits", and it made me think. The rich people we see today rarely lived lavishly in the beginning. I think the key here is strategizing smartly. It's a chess game. Sacrificing one piece for the big win is all that matters. In the end it's a battle within ourselves. There's no one else stopping us from achieving our goals. It's us. If we can control ourselves and take smart actions, we'll eventually get rewarded in the long-term.

Buying a tattoo or a new BMW feels good in the short term, but in the long term the curve is headed downwards. Saving money feels bad in the short term, but given you didn't put your money into some meme crypto coin, the curve will likely be exponential in the long term.

Something I learned from Bezos and Sam Ovens is, "What's the decision most likely to benefit you 5-10 years from now?". Aka, thinking extremely long-term to figure out the potential upside of one action versus another. This is also called paying dividends thinking. Some actions pay dividends. Like if you lift some weights today, you might not see the results immediately, but if you keep doing it, in a couple months you'll start receiving the dividends for your prior efforts.

Thoughts and opinions?

 

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[Odysseus M Jones]

I noticed I've been delaying consumption for a couple of years now. I use a Chinese 100$ phone, wear clothes I bought 6 years ago, have no car, and generally speaking I don't consume shit.

I don't have social media/Netflix either because that's an even worse kind of consumption. You consume stuff you can't even see in the real world. What's the ROI there? Just some neurons firing in your brains and forming useless neural pathways. At least if you buy a physical product, you can own it and see it physically. But consuming digital content is the worst in my opinion (unless we're talking about learning material or non-fiction stuff).

I've been wanting to get tattoos for a while and now that I saved up a few thousand euros I can afford it, however, I decided to postpone it again. Been postponing it since when I was 16 and I'm 22 now. This shows some discipline but I must say constantly delaying the reward is making me feel sick at this point. I think I got to the extreme point of depriving myself of any kind of reward for my efforts.

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do". I've read a quote on a thread that says "there are those who have a lot of money and those who spend a lot of money, but you rarely find people who have both the traits", and it made me think. The rich people we see today rarely lived lavishly in the beginning. I think the key here is strategizing smartly. It's a chess game. Sacrificing one piece for the big win is all that matters. In the end it's a battle within ourselves. There's no one else stopping us from achieving our goals. It's us. If we can control ourselves and take smart actions, we'll eventually get rewarded in the long-term.

Buying a tattoo or a new BMW feels good in the short term, but in the long term the curve is headed downwards. Saving money feels bad in the short term, but given you didn't put your money into some meme crypto coin, the curve will likely be exponential in the long term.

Something I learned from Bezos and Sam Ovens is, "What's the decision most likely to benefit you 5-10 years from now?". Aka, thinking extremely long-term to figure out the potential upside of one action versus another. This is also called paying dividends thinking. Some actions pay dividends. Like if you lift some weights today, you might not see the results immediately, but if you keep doing it, in a couple months you'll start receiving the dividends for your prior efforts.

Thoughts and opinions?

You know the answer to this.

Get the tattoos as a reward for achievement.

You haven't launched your business yet.

No tattoos for you!

 

[Deleted85763]

I noticed I've been delaying consumption for a couple of years now. I use a Chinese 100$ phone, wear clothes I bought 6 years ago, have no car, and generally speaking I don't consume shit.

I don't have social media/Netflix either because that's an even worse kind of consumption. You consume stuff you can't even see in the real world. What's the ROI there? Just some neurons firing in your brains and forming useless neural pathways. At least if you buy a physical product, you can own it and see it physically. But consuming digital content is the worst in my opinion (unless we're talking about learning material or non-fiction stuff).

I've been wanting to get tattoos for a while and now that I saved up a few thousand euros I can afford it, however, I decided to postpone it again. Been postponing it since when I was 16 and I'm 22 now. This shows some discipline but I must say constantly delaying the reward is making me feel sick at this point. I think I got to the extreme point of depriving myself of any kind of reward for my efforts.

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do". I've read a quote on a thread that says "there are those who have a lot of money and those who spend a lot of money, but you rarely find people who have both the traits", and it made me think. The rich people we see today rarely lived lavishly in the beginning. I think the key here is strategizing smartly. It's a chess game. Sacrificing one piece for the big win is all that matters. In the end it's a battle within ourselves. There's no one else stopping us from achieving our goals. It's us. If we can control ourselves and take smart actions, we'll eventually get rewarded in the long-term.

Buying a tattoo or a new BMW feels good in the short term, but in the long term the curve is headed downwards. Saving money feels bad in the short term, but given you didn't put your money into some meme crypto coin, the curve will likely be exponential in the long term.

Something I learned from Bezos and Sam Ovens is, "What's the decision most likely to benefit you 5-10 years from now?". Aka, thinking extremely long-term to figure out the potential upside of one action versus another. This is also called paying dividends thinking. Some actions pay dividends. Like if you lift some weights today, you might not see the results immediately, but if you keep doing it, in a couple months you'll start receiving the dividends for your prior efforts.

Thoughts and opinions?

Good for you for saving. Savings and thrift are integral to business success and wealth building BUT you should enjoy yourself along the way. It's a mistake not to.

 

[VicFountain]

You know the answer to this.

Get the tattoos as a reward for achievement.

You haven't launched your business yet.

No tattoos for you!

If we look at it that way, it's true. I worked a job and saved money, some people would consider that achievement. Maybe it's because they have timid goals. I guess it's about perspective.

 

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[NewManRising]

I noticed I've been delaying consumption for a couple of years now. I use a Chinese 100$ phone, wear clothes I bought 6 years ago, have no car, and generally speaking I don't consume shit.

I don't have social media/Netflix either because that's an even worse kind of consumption. You consume stuff you can't even see in the real world. What's the ROI there? Just some neurons firing in your brains and forming useless neural pathways. At least if you buy a physical product, you can own it and see it physically. But consuming digital content is the worst in my opinion (unless we're talking about learning material or non-fiction stuff).

I've been wanting to get tattoos for a while and now that I saved up a few thousand euros I can afford it, however, I decided to postpone it again. Been postponing it since when I was 16 and I'm 22 now. This shows some discipline but I must say constantly delaying the reward is making me feel sick at this point. I think I got to the extreme point of depriving myself of any kind of reward for my efforts.

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do". I've read a quote on a thread that says "there are those who have a lot of money and those who spend a lot of money, but you rarely find people who have both the traits", and it made me think. The rich people we see today rarely lived lavishly in the beginning. I think the key here is strategizing smartly. It's a chess game. Sacrificing one piece for the big win is all that matters. In the end it's a battle within ourselves. There's no one else stopping us from achieving our goals. It's us. If we can control ourselves and take smart actions, we'll eventually get rewarded in the long-term.

Buying a tattoo or a new BMW feels good in the short term, but in the long term the curve is headed downwards. Saving money feels bad in the short term, but given you didn't put your money into some meme crypto coin, the curve will likely be exponential in the long term.

Something I learned from Bezos and Sam Ovens is, "What's the decision most likely to benefit you 5-10 years from now?". Aka, thinking extremely long-term to figure out the potential upside of one action versus another. This is also called paying dividends thinking. Some actions pay dividends. Like if you lift some weights today, you might not see the results immediately, but if you keep doing it, in a couple months you'll start receiving the dividends for your prior efforts.

Thoughts and opinions?

I'm like you. However, I am not as extreme. I do have older clothes but I also make sure to update my wardrobe with a nice shirt or a pair of pants every now and then. But I only buy to replace or if I need it.

I have no streaming services like Netflix or HBOMax. I never go out to eat at restaurants or go to the movie theaters. I have an older smartphone. I drive a somewhat older car. I am very much a needs-focused person. I don't spend money unless necessary.

I want a fitness tracker. I originally wanted a fitness watch but couldn't get myself to spend the money. Plus it seems like overkill with all the features. I really only want a heart rate monitor, step counter, and calorie counter. I found a fitness tracker that is $49.99 that I like but still won't buy it. I told myself I have to earn it first (using it as a reward for making money freelancing).

I don't think there is anything wrong with this kind of discipline. Maybe it isn't disciple, as you said, it could be bordering on depriving yourself of things. Which in this case you might want to work on this.

Things like clothes, food, transportation (if necessary) you shouldn't deprive yourself. But Netflix, tattoos, etc are non-essential ( in my opinion).

 

[Eudaimonium]

The long-term consists of many short-term moments and experiences.

If you are confident that your long-term will turn out great, you can sacrifice a lot in the short-term.

If you think the road ahead is long, you will keep saving and holding out (enduring pain and sacrifice). This mindset is an evolutionary mechanism. Imagine you are in prehistoric times, and winter is approaching. You will not be able to gather any food for months. A matter of survival-- minimizing risk.

When spring arrives, you are happy to indulge in whatever food is left. More is coming soon. Likewise if you lived recklessly and risked dying or being arrested tomorrow, you would also spend lavishly-- maximizing the opportunities you have left.

If you postpone purchases/rewards not for one season, but for years and years, it means you are living as if you will never die. Your long-term is approaching eternity. Maybe this is because you subsciously sense that you are making zero to little progress as measured in time, and when extrapolated, the trajectory towards your goals requires an infinite amount of years?

Eternal winter!

 

[VicFountain]

The long-term consists of many short-term moments and experiences.

If you are confident that your long-term will turn out great, you can sacrifice a lot in the short-term.

If you think the road ahead is long, you will keep saving and holding out (enduring pain and sacrifice). This mindset is an evolutionary mechanism. Imagine you are in prehistoric times, and winter is approaching. You will not be able to gather any food for months. A matter of survival-- minimizing risk.

When spring arrives, you are happy to indulge in whatever food is left. More is coming soon. Likewise if you lived recklessly and risked dying or being arrested tomorrow, you would also spend lavishly-- maximizing the opportunities you have left.

If you postpone purchases/rewards not for one season, but for years and years, it means you are living as if you will never die. Your long-term is approaching eternity. Maybe this is because you subsciously sense that you are making zero to little progress as measured in time, and when extrapolated, the trajectory towards your goals requires an infinite amount of years?

Eternal winter!

That's indeed what's happening. I act like I'm gonna live forever.
There are those who, as MJ says, YOLO and live paycheck to paycheck (live in the present), and those who, on the other end of the spectrum, save every penny and never reward themselves (live in the future).

Now the question is if you can really find a middle way, or if the middle way ends up slowing you down instead.
These are the tough life questions and I believe the answer to this is how rich people actually get rich, because you can't cheat mathematics. Money is simply numbers. Spend money and that number decreases, earn money and it increases. Simple but not trivial.

 

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[MTF]

I'm probably not the most objective guy here but I think that spending any money on a tattoo, ever, is a terrible idea.

You're only 22. You'll have this stuff for the rest of your life and will probably regret it as you'll be a completely different person in a few years, let alone a decade or two.

If you must give yourself a reward, spend it on an experience, ideally with some friends or family. It'll show you how your life could be like every day when you're wealthy and it'll provide more lasting enjoyment than a tattoo (that you'll eventually hate).

 

[Odysseus M Jones]

If we look at it that way, it's true. I worked a job and saved money, some people would consider that achievement. Maybe it's because they have timid goals. I guess it's about perspective.

It is about perspective, and what your goals are.
You're here because you want to go fastlane, or at least have a business and some financial freedom.

That 2k put in your business and not on your body could pay dividends that would make covering your entire body, including the inside of your eyelids, chump change once you're successful.

Only you can decide what you want.

I'm probably not the most objective guy here but I think that spending any money on a tattoo, ever, is a terrible idea.

You're only 22. You'll have this stuff for the rest of your life and will probably regret it as you'll be a completely different person in a few years, let alone a decade or two.

If you must give yourself a reward, spend it on an experience, ideally with some friends or family. It'll show you how your life could be like every day when you're wealthy and it'll provide more lasting enjoyment than a tattoo (that you'll eventually hate).

Sorry dude, but that's putting your values on others and history shows what happens when we do that.

Sidebar, since people generally wear the style of clothing from their teens and twenties their entire lives,
(we get stuck in a time warp, because that's the best we looked and we want to preserve that look ~ look at the dudes from the 50's still wearing surfer jackets lol)

I used to speculate what today's teens would look like at 70 in their crop tops, hot pants, piercings everywhere and covered in ink.

Take a look at aging tradesmen with their greased teddy boy hairstyles.

Holy mother of mercy!

 

[Madame Peccato]

Give yourself the respect you deserve.

I can't comment on the tattoo, as I've never considered getting one myself. But you've been thinking about it for 6 years. It's clear you really want it. It's the opposite of an impulse purchase.

You mention sacrifice in your post. Look at it this way: spending 2k on a tattoo is a sacrifice just like any other. Money isn't the only thing that matters in this world. What's the point of agonizing over something for so long? You're just making yourself miserable.

Is spending 2k today stopping you from achieving your dreams? You have lots of self-discipline.

As for other types of consumption, I suggest buying things that improve your self-image e.g. new clothes.

Our brains' chemicals are funny like that. If you dress yourself properly, our brain takes itself more seriously. Think about the perceived authority of a doctor in a white coat. It's the same for our self-image.

If you dress in a tailored suit, you're going to act way more formal. It's why we have "comfort" clothes for different activities. And why dressing a certain way can prompt us towards action. Ever had those days where you didn't feel like going to the gym, but once you put on your gym clothes, rushed there?

Of course, don't splurge it on designer clothes if you can't afford it. But try to get yourself something nice every now and then.

 

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[VicFountain]

I'm probably not the most objective guy here but I think that spending any money on a tattoo, ever, is a terrible idea.

You're only 22. You'll have this stuff for the rest of your life and will probably regret it as you'll be a completely different person in a few years, let alone a decade or two.

If you must give yourself a reward, spend it on an experience, ideally with some friends or family. It'll show you how your life could be like every day when you're wealthy and it'll provide more lasting enjoyment than a tattoo (that you'll eventually hate).

I appreciate the take, however, I think there's a time for everything. I'm not big on travelling for example. Whenever I travel all I wanna do is work or go to the gym because I get bored easily.

That's why I don't take vacations. Taking a vacation when you're "poor"/middle class is miserable in my opinion. It's like being in a strip club and you can only watch the girl, no touching. Same thing with going on vacation when you don't have F*ck you money. I can't enjoy a week in a new place knowing I'll be back to my old life a week later, and with less money.

Tattoos are a form of growth for me. They are like steppingstones and reminders of one's own values. We are gonna die anyway. With ink on your body or not. And after a certain age your skin is gonna look like shit regardless.

 

[biophase]

That's indeed what's happening. I act like I'm gonna live forever.
There are those who, as MJ says, YOLO and live paycheck to paycheck (live in the present), and those who, on the other end of the spectrum, save every penny and never reward themselves (live in the future).

Now the question is if you can really find a middle way, or if the middle way ends up slowing you down instead.
These are the tough life questions and I believe the answer to this is how rich people actually get rich, because you can't cheat mathematics. Money is simply numbers. Spend money and that number decreases, earn money and it increases. Simple but not trivial.

I’m just curious if you would still get the same tattoo now that you wanted when you were 16. That could help you decide what to do.

Also, maybe you get the tattoo and spend $2k and see how you feel about it in 6 months. Will you regret it or be happy about it? It could be a life lesson early on.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do".

If you invested that $2K in an index fund and waited 50 years it will be worth $12,000! (Never mind that the same tattoo would now also cost $12,000!)

My subconscious is screaming "spending 2k on a tattoo when you haven't even launched your business is the worst thing you can do". I've read a quote on a thread that says "there are those who have a lot of money and those who spend a lot of money, but you rarely find people who have both the traits", and it made me think. The rich people we see today rarely lived lavishly in the beginning. I think the key here is strategizing smartly. It's a chess game. Sacrificing one piece for the big win is all that matters. In the end it's a battle within ourselves. There's no one else stopping us from achieving our goals. It's us. If we can control ourselves and take smart actions, we'll eventually get rewarded in the long-term.

Yes, reward yourself. Question is, why are you rewarding yourself when you haven't even launched your business? Reward yourself after your first sale, or your first evidence of a productocracy. I talk about this in The Great Rat Race Escape , The Gold Star Strategy ... however REWARDS must be commensurate with an actual achievement. I worked 10 hours today on my non-operational business! is not a reason for a reward.

 

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[Kak]

Cars are this way for me. I’m kind of sporadic when I finally do act, but the entire idea of spending money on a car bugs me.

I, by most peoples’ definition of the word need, I kind of need a new truck. Yet, I just don’t show up at a dealership. It isn’t seems like I would always rather have the money.

When I was in my early 20s, I had all these grand plans about what I would own and buy when I got to a certain income or net worth. 97% of that shit I thought I would buy by now, I didn’t. Priorities change. Desires change. I’m a producer first consumer distant second. The happiest kind of consumption I do assists with production.

So whatever. Will I get my new truck? Yeah. But my old truck is fine and the longer I wait, and the less I care, the newer it is when I do pull the trigger.

 

[biophase]

Yes, reward yourself. Question is, why are you rewarding yourself when you haven't even launched your business?

I missed this part.

Without an accomplishment, it’s not really a reward, it’s just spending money on yourself.

Is that really the question you wanted to ask yourself?

Let me put it this way, you can spend $2000 and get yourself a tattoo and in five years you will still have a tattoo.

If you spend $2000 on a business, in five years you could have no money and no tattoo because your business failed or you could have a lot more money because your business was successful.

Which chance would you rather have in five years.

 

[VicFountain]

I missed this part.

Without an accomplishment, it’s not really a reward, it’s just spending money on yourself.

Is that really the question you wanted to ask yourself?

Let me put it this way, you can spend $2000 and get yourself a tattoo and in five years you will still have a tattoo.

If you spend $2000 on a business, in five years you could have no money and no tattoo because your business failed or you could have a lot more money because your business was successful.

Which chance would you rather have in five years.

I didn't mention a few things. I think it's a kind of accomplishment. I dropped out of uni and taught myself how to code and found a job after 4 months in a foreign country which is way better than the country I was born in.
But I agree, if my goal is entrepreneurship this is not a real accomplishment. So I decided to postpone my tattoo for now and keep reminding myself of my long-term goals.

And you're right. It's the fear of failure and losing my money (and having nothing to show for it but a failed business and maybe some new things learned) that makes me want to "treat myself". Otherwise, I start a business and go all in, and not saying it will, but if it fails, I'm back to ground zero. And I never had a chance to reward myself in between the years. Kind of sad. Sacrifice is important, sure, but I'm basically sacrificing my entire life.

 

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[WestCoast]

Consumption isn't the reward I seek.
The journey is the reward.

The grind to build a company is the thing I want most.
The journey, itself, is the validation and amazing feeling.
Not: 'Buying ever more expensive stuff'.

The process to learn, grow and achieve my goals?
To fight every day to build, adapt, adjust and lead?
To fail, to get up, to get laughed at, to be told you are wrong.
And to rise again.
To see what others miss. To build what others say can't be built.
THAT is the reward.

There isn't any material thing that compares to that feeling, that satisfaction of that struggle and attempt.

--
When the process IS the reward - you win every day you show up, even when you fail.
For me, that's a much more visceral reward than anything material I could ever have.

 

[biophase]

Sacrifice is important, sure, but I'm basically sacrificing my entire life.

Dude you are 22. You have no idea what sacrifice means yet!

If only the hardest decision in life cost $2000 and were only to get or not get a tattoo. Life is orders of magnitude above this decision.

 

[VicFountain]

Dude you are 22. You have no idea what sacrifice means yet!

If only the hardest decision in life cost $2000 and were only to get or not get a tattoo. Life is orders of magnitude above this decision.

Can you elaborate on this? I've been lifting since when I was 15 and never skipped a workout since (unless I was completely sick) so I know what's sacrifice. And if that isn't sacrifice then the fitness industry wouldn't be so profitable and people wouldn't need "motivation" from some roided up dude on Instagram who sells useless courses and supplements. Where there are (fake) shortcuts you know there is a hidden stream of sacrifices to be made (the process). I don't think age has anything to do with this either. Some people leave their comfort zone earlier in life.

 

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[woken]

Can you elaborate on this? I've been lifting since when I was 15 and never skipped a workout since (unless I was completely sick) so I know what's sacrifice. And if that isn't sacrifice then the fitness industry wouldn't be so profitable and people wouldn't need "motivation" from some roided up dude on Instagram who sells useless courses and supplements. Where there are (fake) shortcuts you know there is a hidden stream of sacrifices to be made (the process). I don't think age has anything to do with this either. Some people leave their comfort zone earlier in life.

It is sacrifice but yours is directly benefiting you.

Take this example
40yr old that has been working in construction for 20 years, breaking his back everyday, because he isn’t aware of other choices and he doesn’t know how to replace his income yet he must support his family. That’s sacrificing.
Add a sick family member that needs taken care of and the guy in this scenario will never think of doing something else, because he cannot afford switching lanes in his position even though he wants to.




And as absurd as it sounds for some of us, for other people it is damn hard to even imagine they can earn money doing something else or not doing much at all.

Coming back to your main question,

I’m lucky because I only want to consume things I need for my business.
I’ve bought an iPad this black friday. Was it necessary for my business? yes.
was it also satisfying my consumption needs? yes.

That’s a win-win scenario.

 

[biophase]

Can you elaborate on this? I've been lifting since when I was 15 and never skipped a workout since (unless I was completely sick) so I know what's sacrifice. And if that isn't sacrifice then the fitness industry wouldn't be so profitable and people wouldn't need "motivation" from some roided up dude on Instagram who sells useless courses and supplements. Where there are (fake) shortcuts you know there is a hidden stream of sacrifices to be made (the process). I don't think age has anything to do with this either. Some people leave their comfort zone earlier in life.

Not missing a workout isn't sacrifice. I'd call it great discipline. At 22 your world is generally very small. Sacrifice isn't giving up pizza, because you can still eat chicken breast. You haven't had life experiences that leave you with tough decisions. All I'm saying is that if you are viewing these current decisions as tough or self sacrificing, future real life decisions will scramble your brain.

I'm trying to find an example that would put it into context for your current situation. Sacrifice in my opinion in your scenario would be, you really want to get a tattoo for $2000, but a dog rescue really needs it for an operation to save a dog, so you donate the $2000 to the dog rescue.

 

[thechosen1]

Not missing a workout isn't sacrifice. I'd call it great discipline. At 22 your world is generally very small. Sacrifice isn't giving up pizza, because you can still eat chicken breast. You haven't had life experiences that leave you with tough decisions. All I'm saying is that if you are viewing these current decisions as tough or self sacrificing, future real life decisions will scramble your brain.

I'm trying to find an example that would put it into context for your current situation. Sacrifice in my opinion in your scenario would be, you really want to get a tattoo for $2000, but a dog rescue really needs it for an operation to save a dog, so you donate the $2000 to the dog rescue.

And even when you are a successful businessman, age 50, or 60, or 80, your problems will still be small compared to history.

It's crazy to read about what people of the past have gone through. It puts our problems in perspective.

When you've got an unpaid invoice worth millions on a project, plus a couple lawsuits, plus a death in the family, you can look at places and people in history and think "Problems? I don't have problems. Those people dealt with far worse."

War, mass starvation, plagues, unrest, tyranny, the list goes on. Even losing 100 employees, low on work, PPP loans you won't get forgiven, IRS tax problems, if you live in a first world country, aren't in a wartorn area, have food and health, you are beyond lucky.

 

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[VicFountain]

Not missing a workout isn't sacrifice. I'd call it great discipline. At 22 your world is generally very small. Sacrifice isn't giving up pizza, because you can still eat chicken breast. You haven't had life experiences that leave you with tough decisions. All I'm saying is that if you are viewing these current decisions as tough or self sacrificing, future real life decisions will scramble your brain.

I'm trying to find an example that would put it into context for your current situation. Sacrifice in my opinion in your scenario would be, you really want to get a tattoo for $2000, but a dog rescue really needs it for an operation to save a dog, so you donate the $2000 to the dog rescue.

I guess my definition of sacrifice is different than yours and @thechosen1's.

I don't know what these moral issues you brought up have to do with my original question. Seems like you are pushing moral values when the topic of the thread is entirely different.

Sacrifice for me is sacrificing short term gratification for long term gratification. Simple as that. So yes, for me not getting a tattoo is sacrifice. Call me selfish, I just don't buy into moral stuff because the most powerful people in the world are the least moral. Do you think Bezos gives a shit about people complaining he treats his employee's like slaves? Do you think Zuckerberg gives a F*ck he turned 7 billion people into monkeys?

And since someone brought up the topic of family. You speak as if you create a family by accident. If you have children and get married, it's your responsibility and if something bad happens, you shouldn't be upset because you willfully invited new problems in your life and that was your choice. I don't know what family has to do in this thread either. It's like the dude who buys a Ferrari and complains he's spending thousands in maintenance. No shit? What was he expecting?

 

[thechosen1]

Do you think Bezos gives a shit about people complaining he treats his employee's like slaves?

Amazon employs 1,468,000 people.

The average (not median, we need average to do this math) Amazon annual salary based on a google search is $48,345 per year (not bad).

($48,345 pear year) * (1,468,000 employees) = $70,970,460,000 *per year*.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty positive thing, creating 71 billion dollars of value per year for over a million and a half people.

Do the math.

By the way, slaves don't get paid, and they can't go work elsewhere. It's kind of disrespectful to people who really lived under (and in some places, still live under) slavery.

---
Anyway, celebrate your wins with a little consumption. Go for it.

 

[biophase]

I guess my definition of sacrifice is different than yours and @thechosen1's.

I don't know what these moral issues you brought up have to do with my original question. Seems like you are pushing moral values when the topic of the thread is entirely different.

Sacrifice for me is sacrificing short term gratification for long term gratification. Simple as that. So yes, for me not getting a tattoo is sacrifice. Call me selfish, I just don't buy into moral stuff because the most powerful people in the world are the least moral. Do you think Bezos gives a shit about people complaining he treats his employee's like slaves? Do you think Zuckerberg gives a f*ck he turned 7 billion people into monkeys?

But it’s not a moral issue. It’s a choice issue.

We all have different levels at which we feel we accomplished something. I get it, I used to say, I’ve worked a hard 40 hours this week at my job, I deserve to get a PlayStation.

You want to reward yourself for accomplishments that the rest of us don’t deem reward worthy. And that’s fine. Just know that the more you reward yourself for minor accomplishments, the more it will set you back if your goals are to be financially free.

And lastly if you don’t have moral issues and just want money to indulge yourself, you are going to have issues in business.

 

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[Niptuck MD]

97% of that shit I thought I would buy by now, I didn’t. Priorities change

exactly. priorities have changed for me as well. besides where i live in europe, a fast car cant even be driven anymore as norway plans to ban the sale of int.comb. engines!!! cars are overrated IMHO nowadays! Not shitttin on anyone that wants to but MJ brought up a good point in rat race, where one of his prized cars brought a myriad of other problems in terms of liabilities, insurance etc.... not helping the escape number or plan to fulfill an ego is detrimental to the process. Discipline is the gift that keeps on giving though....

 

[missinfinity98]

This photoshoot I supported with my talents lately was a reward for me - and it is related to the subject, so I decided to share it.

Personally, I answer my needs and like to enjoy life and what this material world has to offer. Yet I challenge everything, as I am aware of how the outside world tries to manipulate into excessive consumption.

 

[Raedrum]

@VicFountain dude I'm exactly in the same reflexion. I never really had money so I'm used to it, but I was passing a lot of my time consuming movies or video games, but now the more the time pass the more I'm being tired of project myself in a movie or a game instead of living my own movie actively.

 

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[SPM_ENT]

Here's my .02 for whats it's worth.

As MJ said...

REWARDS must be commensurate with an actual achievement.

Do something/anything that you view (other people's opinions of accomplishments don't matter, even if it's as small as building your first website) will have a large positive impact on your life that your future self will be proud of. Then reward yourself with that tattoo and every time you look at it you'll remember those positive feelings that you took action and did something and it will propel you to continue to take more large steps. It's a positive bookmark in your life. You can replace the tattoo with any item like a watch, or an experience (take a picture so you can look back and have positive emotions).

Rewarding yourself can be hard when you're used to saving. Take positive action to achieve your goals, reward yourself by spending some money, not all. If you have the guilt from spending, that's good! Use the guilt to force yourself to take more action to make back the money you spent rewarding yourself and more.

Hope that helps.

 

[WJK]

I guess my definition of sacrifice is different than yours and @thechosen1's.

I don't know what these moral issues you brought up have to do with my original question. Seems like you are pushing moral values when the topic of the thread is entirely different.

Sacrifice for me is sacrificing short term gratification for long term gratification. Simple as that. So yes, for me not getting a tattoo is sacrifice. Call me selfish, I just don't buy into moral stuff because the most powerful people in the world are the least moral. Do you think Bezos gives a shit about people complaining he treats his employee's like slaves? Do you think Zuckerberg gives a f*ck he turned 7 billion people into monkeys?

And since someone brought up the topic of family. You speak as if you create a family by accident. If you have children and get married, it's your responsibility and if something bad happens, you shouldn't be upset because you willfully invited new problems in your life and that was your choice. I don't know what family has to do in this thread either. It's like the dude who buys a Ferrari and complains he's spending thousands in maintenance. No shit? What was he expecting?

You sound angry... why? You are going to find a lot of different opinions on this forum. It's not personal. Most people are just trying to help you by giving you their thoughts.

Do what is in your heart. Only you can know what you want to buy with your money.

You sound like you are similar to me. You don't feel comfortable spending money. And that's a wonderful thing for people who want to build a business.

I do spend a LOT of money, but it's almost always on my businesses. I invest all the time in my future. But, I don't spend much money on personal stuff for myself. At this point in my life, I have no one around me that I want to impress. I don't need to "keep up with the Jones" -- I know that they bought all that stuff by incurring time payments anyway. I'm totally against going into debt for showboating. I just want to be comfortable. I want my lifestyle to be very simple. If an item -- you know, stuff -- needs to be dusted, has special care instructions, or if it is difficult in any way, I leave it for someone else to buy and take home. And, I don't think of cutting costs and putting off purchases as a sacrifice. If I want something I can afford it. Most of the time, I just don't want it that bad.

You are 22. I'm old compared to you. A LOT of things I thought I want when I was your age are no longer important. You will change SO much between now and when you are in your late 20s. And then over time after that, you will change more. You can't see it all now. Give yourself time to bloom into the person you will become.