Dreams are Always Free, but Fulfilling Them Costs Money. – Millionaire on the Prairie
Dreaming is free. We all know this. You can have as many dreams as your imagination and desires will allow.
- Home ownership?
- Early retirement?
- Volunteering at something full-time?
- Running your own business?
- Seeing the seven wonders of the world?
- Visiting an animal sanctuary or ancestral homeland?
- Participating in rebuilding efforts after a natural disaster?
- Starting or finishing your education?
- Publishing a book?
- Taking over a farm and living off the grid?
- Becoming a parent?
- Breaking a world record?
- Creating a garden oasis?
- Supporting a loved one to achieve their goals?
- Living a life filled with joy?
Whether big or small, everyone has dreams for their lives. We all desire to see, do, taste, touch, experience certain things in our lifetimes. It’s perfectly natural since each of us secretly or not-so-secretly wants to live our lives a certain way. The thing that few of like to admit outloud is that making those dreams a reality generally always involves finances.
I’ll be the first to say it. Whatever your dream is, attaining it has price tag. There’s always a financial cost to making dreams come true.
Our capitalist system runs on everyone spending money incessantly. Honestly, the system doesn’t much care where you spend your money, only that you spend it immediately or before you’ve actually received it. In other words, if you don’t have cash then credit will do. The AdMan and his trusty sidekick, the Creditor, are intimately aware that immediate consumption doesn’t happen when you’re saving up for a dream. Tough! That’s a capitalism-problem, not a you-problem.
Don’t let the AdMan and the Creditor get in your way! You have dreams and you want to see them made real. Never forget that you alone are responsible for directing where your money goes. You get to decide whether to go into debt or to go towards your heart’s deepest desire, whatever that may be.
Forgive me. I want to focus your attention on a harsh reality that few, if any, ever discuss in the personal finance sphere. Every single one of us has a limited amount of time, and none of us know when our time will run out. You owe it to yourself to use every moment of your precious, precious time to building the life that you really want to live. Dreams don’t fund themselves. The onus to fund your dreams rests on your shoulders, no one else’s. Make your dreams come true before it’s too late by getting good with your money.
I’ve always believed that debt is an anathema to making dreams a reality. The sad fact is that when you’re beholden to your creditors, then you’re legally bound to repay your debts. If you don’t, your creditors will eventually garnish your wages or your bank account. At some point, you might even be pushed into bankruptcy. That’s not a fun process and it will have severe consequences on your future.
You can only spend each dollar once. It should go without saying that money repaid to debt is money that cannot be directed towards dreams. If you’re in debt, you best bet is to figure out how to get out of it ASAP. Cut the fat from your budget. Get another job. Sell stuff you no longer need, want, or use. Only spend cold, hard cash. Whatever works for you is what you should be doing.
Train yourself to think about your dreams every single time you go to pay for something. Does paying for whatever-it-is get you closer to your dreams? If the answer is “yes”, then make the purchase. If the answer is “no”, then delay or forego the purchase. By delaying the purchase, you’re forced to figure out if staying away from realizing your dream is a price that you’re willing to pay.
Dreaming is always free, but turning dreams into reality costs money. Please don’t squander your limited resources on things that won’t bring your dreams to life. It’s on you to use your time and your money in ways that bring you closer to fulfilling your dreams. You can do this!
