Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder
Figuring out your money starts with tracking how it comes in and goes out, and sometimes you may realize you often buy the same stuff you don’t really need but really like. The book Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin calls them gazingus pins but I can never remember the term so I call them garbanzo beans.
Everyone has them. I’ve realized I don’t really need another black turtleneck or gray hoodie, so I’m down to books and music. The library has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. Saving in other areas frees up enough cash to allow me to indulge my music passion with a concert fund.
I set aside a certain amount of money every year to cover the cost of concert tickets. That way my monthly budget isn’t completely derailed and I don’t have to scramble to take advantage of shows when they come to town.
Pearl Jam played the Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday. They are my friend Joanne’s favourite band in the world and we bought tickets back in January. Unfortunately, despite getting into the site within five minutes of the tickets going on sale and alternating between three different browsers to get the best available, we got nosebleed seats.
Sure we could’ve paid twice as much to a scalper to get floor seats, but Joanne said she probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the concert, knowing how much we paid. This way she still heard them live, plus we had money left over for other priorities (merchandise and wine) without a side of guilt or worry.
Money – or should I say, financial freedom – isn’t this mysterious force that’s out there somewhere. It’s in our choices. If you have more money, you have more options and that’s why it’s important. Sometimes we can find more money by making different choices. I’m fortunate that I can create enough disposable income to afford a concert fund. Having the freedom to indulge in your passions is important in life.
That drawer of concert t-shirts isn’t going to fill itself, you know. Rock on.
Don't Eat Cat Food in Your Old Age 