Think of Surplus Money As Something to Invest, Not Spend
When you find you have a little money to spare, it’s hard not to start thinking about everything you want to buy right away. You’re better off saving that money or making it work, and a simple perspective shift can help you with that.
If you are like me, as soon as you have extra money, it starts burning a hole in your pocket and you go through your wishlist. It won’t hurt you now (it’s extra money after all), but it definitely won’t help you in the future. Mr. Money Usat explains in Farnush Torabi’s podcast “So Money” that surplus money should be what you put in, not what you immediately spend:
I love the idea of keeping all the money invested. So if I ever run into a surplus, I don’t think what to buy for it, I think, “Okay, I better get rid of this money and make it work again.” So, I withdraw them from my bank account to regular index funds.
Pull it out of your pocket and keep it away from your lucky fingers as quickly as possible. Instead of asking yourself, “How can I spend this?” ask “how can I invest this?” Investing isn’t as hard as it sounds, so get down to business . Your future wallet will thank you for this.
Mister Money Mustache | So Money podcast via Business Insider