Rich is Relative

Every person has their own personal hierarchy, a ranking system that they use to determine what's most important to them. Being rich may not necessarily be having a lot of money in the bank, for some it could be driving a Mercedes, or having a closet full of Jimmy Choos. Rich is totally relative.

You could go through life trying desperately to eliminate debt (and by all means you should) but in the meantime, stop and smell the roses. Take time to enjoy these moments because no amount of money can buy them back. They're priceless.

I took some time and thought about what my personal hierarchy entails...in no particular order (I'll attempt that later) here they are:

• I want to wear nice clothes to work and on the weekends, after all this is correlated to how often promotions occur
• I want to live in an area that's a mix of city and suburban life
• I want a moderately nice vehicle (dependable & classy)
• I want to retire at a normal age (55-60) and have the flexibility to do what I want
• I want to travel 2-3 times per year while working, more upon retirement
• I want to go to graduate school, not sure for what just yet and only if it increases my earning potential or is something I'm passionate about
• I want to own my own home one day in the next 5 years
• I want kids one day

And in order to get there...

• I'm willing to live with a roommate in order to save money
• I'm willing to stay in the house on a Saturday night reading a book instead of partying
• I'm willing to give up satellite radio in my car unless I start driving to work everyday
• I'm willing to be on a staff of employees, family life is more important to me
• I'm willing to cook versus eating out. Occasionally eating out is nice
• I'm willing to start my own business if it's something I'm passionate about
• I'm willing to have just one pet now (Dior) he's expensive enough
• I'm willing to have a moderately sized wedding that's fancy-ish or a destination wedding

With all of that said...to me, I am rich right now. I buy the clothes that I want and I pay somewhat good money for them, not always, but often. I drive a car that's nice & reliable. My apartment makes me feel safe and it has a garage. I put 10% of my salary into my retirement, I belong to an investment group, and I save on a regular basis. So in my eyes, I am rich. I have what I want out of life at this very moment in time. My hierarchy will of course change as the years come & go, but for now...I'm A-OK with where I am, and I'm also very proud.

I encourage you to decide what things are most important to you in life and strive to accomplish those things, whatever they may be realizing that at times these goals may shift & change.

One more note before I end this thing...boyfriend often gives me a hard time about how much I pay for my clothes as have some of my other guy friends. Keep in mind, that according to my personal hierarchy, that's something that's important to me, for which I'm willing to sacrifice. With that said, I nicely pointed out that I don't go out to the club every weekend, to tailgate during football season, to a fast food spot everyday, or to purchase Xbox minutes online. Those are all things that may be in someone else's hierarchy, but they're not in mine. So with that said, there really is no difference between myself and anyone else (any cool kid that is, not some frugal fart). I buy what I like...if I see something that I want and it's unreasonably priced, I'll wait until I have a coupon or it's on sale. But I'm gonna get it! I also tend to wear most of my clothes to work as well as out on the weekends. They double, so that means I get more wear out of them. I don't buy a bunch of jeans (which I can't wear to work, not even on Fridays), I buy shoes and shirts and skirts that can be worn to work, church or play.

One more thought...for those of us that have personal appearance matters somewhere in our personal hierarchies. When I pay more for something, I treat it better. I'm not endorsing or suggesting that we all go expensive possession crazy but I am saying that it's okay to buy nice things for yourself, especially if you're going to use them often. Sometimes expensive purchases can be justified on a cost per use basis. Here's an example that I borrowed from You're So Money but can also see illustrated in my personal experience. Boyfriend has about 5-6 pairs of sunglasses, all of which he paid no more than $20 for...I have one pair of designer shades (and I'm not buying anymore). However, when he breaks a pair or loses a pair, he's like no biggie...they were only $15, but then he goes out and buys another pair of $15. And this happens over & over. Now, let's examine my side...I've had my one pair of Diors for 3 years now, and they still look brand new. Plus I KNOW they have true UV protection. Therefore, I don't feel bad about wearing them while he's piddling away between $10-20 on random shades, my pair is still kicking and fabulously fly I might add. You only have one set of eyes and it's important to truly protect them (who wants crow's feet around their eyes?!). Lots of people have said that they'd break their sunglasses and this is most likely true for some of us. It all depends on your hierarchy. But this example can be applied to whatever it is, that IS important to you.

So...
Be rich
Be fabulous
Be young

After all...it's all relative, right?