What is money for? 

The easy answers come to mind quickly; it’s saved for a rainy day, to buy things we need and to save for our retirement, etc. And there are times as we move through life, that using money poses questions and conflicts.

Everyone has different views on spending, saving, investing and borrowing money.  Aside from the logistics of investing, saving, budgeting, and borrowing – which is part of financial planning, we rarely discuss what may be considered frivolous or frugal spending.   This is where the discussion of what money may be intended for - can open a discussion on what makes people happy.  As well as how some unforeseen events that require spending can cause stress for many people.

We have been helping people to plan for retirement, invest for their families and putting financial plans together for many years.  And during this time, we have been there for them when planning, and with them when the unexpected happens.  Events and changes in life are all normal and we help plan for those "what ifs". It’s also normal for the unexpected to occur.  From a flat tire that can ruin a day’s plan or something more serious, these unexpected incidents may have financial consequences.  Often, we have seen people have concerns over what these changes in plans will cost.  Agreeably, issues such as health, home repairs and other major obligations can be very stressful to say the least.  However, when there is a cost associated to that surprise event, and the amount of money that is needed to repair or move forward from that situation is nominal, there may be no reason to suffer from undue stress.   

We can probably comment forever and share stories about the effect of money has on human emotions.  For now, our message about this month’s theme is about reducing stress once we obtain a better understanding of how and why we need to spend money.  It always helps to have a plan, a budget and if possible, that special savings for a rainy day.

Peter and John