Champagne Taste, Beer Budget
No matter how much something costs, it’s hard to part with our hard-earned money to buy it. Yet, when the washer breaks, we find a way to get the money and go buy a new one because it’s a necessity, right?
It’s even tougher to fork over cash when we are talking about spending money on something that we can probably live without. The little voice of reason in our heads is saying that we can make do with that old sofa, or maybe those kitchen cabinets will last a few more years…but really it boils down to the fact that we want those new things and feel ultimately they will improve the quality of our lives.
I’d say this is a proven fact: improving the level of your home DOES increase your level of happiness. It makes you happy while living there, happy to entertain guests there, and when it comes right down to it, most of us enjoy the shopping ‘process’ designing our own spaces.
I see it every day, wives pulling their husbands into the stores to look at interior finishes – deciding between carpet or hardwood, cabinet and door styles, window coverings, furniture... if you haven’t been a part of this, you’ve seen or heard about it from your friends. It is a process. You weigh the pros and cons, take samples home to look at colors, discuss price, and get friends’ opinions. It takes time and although it can be tiring, making all those decisions is kind of fun.
Sometimes those decisions are based on budget and sometimes they are based on desire. More often than not, the beer budget over-rules our desired champagne taste. But there are other things to consider when you are shopping. Is the product made domestically (USA)? What kind of warranty does it carry? Does the company you are purchasing it from have a good reputation? Most of the places that have good reputations have experience and good options. There’s a word we like to hear when we are shopping – experience! Options?! We like to know that someone has the selections as well as the expertise and knowledge to ensure this is not something we'll regret later.
Sometimes the beer budget has to take a backseat to our peace-of-mind and investment towards our happiness. I’m certainly not saying that buying things for our homes is the only thing that makes us happy. There are many other more important things in life. I’m just saying that ultimately, we all want to kick back at the end of the day, laugh with our family and friends, maybe gaze out into a beautiful sunset, and enjoy living where we do because we have the luxury and freedom to do so. Maybe all that time spent squeezing the beer budget would have been better spent toasting with champagne to our good health and happiness. There really is no place like home and when all is said and done, it IS worth it!
