Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 24

Thread: Let's talk a little bit about money

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Array
    Spider's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    3,687

    Default Let's talk a little bit about money

    Let's talk a little bit about money. What is money to you? Let me invite each of you to tell us what you think about money right now - not what you want it to do for you in the future - what does it do for you now? What does it do *to* you? How does money make you feel? Do you have enough? How does that make you feel? If you answered that you don't have enough, why don't you have enough?

    What problems do you encounter with money? What difficulties arise because you have enough/don't have enough? What is the cause of you having enough/not having enough?

    Try to be truthful in your answers. Don't write what you think you *should* feel or what you think others want to hear. Tell us truly what you think, what you see, what you feel.

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Array
    orion_joel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    1,242

    Default

    I think that i have a very unique perspective of money, to what some other's may have. This comes from the job that i have to supplement my business income, I work for a Cash in Transit company as a processing coordinator.

    Money in it's physical form means absolutely nothing to me. It is dirty, and just bits of plastic and paper, with no meaning but what it put on it by society.

    However when you get past the physical item called money and what it can do when put to proper use, it is one of the prime thoughts at the front of my mine. I do not think that i have enough money, because i can see what i am able to do with the money i currently have and can see that i could do much more with additonal money, not just to help myself, but to help others and to improve my knowledge that i can impart to others.

    For me right now money is a third supplemental income, it offers me currently a small interest income, that helps supplement my business and work income and this is something i think that everyone could benefit from know more about how to improve there financial position by making good use of money.
    Joel Brown
    My Travels

  3. #3
    Queen of the Forum
    Array
    KristineS's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Traverse City, MI
    Posts
    4,732
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I think, for me, money is freedom. If I have enough money saved and can meet my bills I can pretty much do what I want.

    Money used to be a great source of stress for me, but over time I learned how to manage it properly and now it isn't a problem. I have enough to meet my billls and have a few luxuries and I'm happy about that.

    I think the only problem that I have with money is trusting that I'm managing it wisely and that it will be there when I need it.

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Array
    Spider's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    3,687

    Default

    Here's what money means to me.

    There are two basic elements to business - labor and money. Without labor, money is useless; without money, labor achieves very little. Everything else is achieved by a combination of these two base elements.

    If you consider labor a tool and treat your workers as if they are tools, you will likely lose them. You will drive them away to where they are appreciated more highly. It's the same with money. Treat money like it is a tool and you will lose it, or at least fail to aquire it to the degree you could. You will drive money away to where it is treated better.

    You could argue that your workers mean nothing to you, that you have no emotional attachment to them, that they are a means to an end, that you use them to achieve your purposes, that you despise them, that they frustrate you, and other negative feelings and thoughts about them. But do you think that would show in your attitude towards them and when dealing with them? Some workers would remain with you because they feel they have no choice, but the best and brightest would surely leave.

    Many people use the same comments to describe money, and the same applies. Treat money that way - without consideration, without appreciation, without attachment, despising it and letting it frustrate you - and you will drive money away. It may pass through your hands but little will remain.

    Money, to me, is input. Money doesn't seem to be much like the backhoes and cranes and hammers and screwdrivers I am familiar with as tools. Money could be a resource, but it doesn't seem to bear much similarity to the concrete and lumber and steel with which I am familair as resources, or the providers of such materials who can also be considered a resource.

    Money is a servant, in the most honorable sense, as a respected and appreciated employee. Money evokes in me the same emotional expression as I would hold for a faithful and expert servant. We work together, trusting each other, expecting the best from each other, giving the best, expressing gratitude for each others gifts and talents.

    I have money to invest and money to live on. As long as I am producing something with my money, I feel productive. As long as I have some money sitting idle, I have more than enough. As long as I have more than enough, I feel rich and comfortable and maintain peace of mind, the ultimate gift I give myself.

    Any others care to comment on what money means to them?

  5. #5
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    That's an interesting perspective.

    I guess money to me is also freedom to a degree. I think it means peace of mind in that having $X means I know I'll be able to pay the bills for the next Y months or years.

    It's funny though because the freedom and peace of mind are juxtaposed with the need to work next month or year to pay the bills and afford something I might want and I don't have the desire not to work. I enjoy what I do. Maybe the freedom is in knowing I don't have to work and that the work is my choice.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Array
    orion_joel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    1,242

    Default

    I find that there are some quite interesting perspectves, i think that the biggest thing for me, is not the earning of money, but more that the money itself is earning more money for me. When the money itself can earn enough for me to pay the bills next month and supply a small surplus then i will feel rich because, Return on cash you already own is the only true passive income that i have been able to find.
    Joel Brown
    My Travels

  7. #7
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    That's where I'm hoping to get. I'm also trying more to look at money in terms of ROI in everything I do. The return doesn't specifically have to be money. It could be my own enjoyment, but I'm trying to not spend money frivolously without the return.

    One thing I used to do was skip money altogether. If I was going to make a purchase say a book or a cd or a meal at a restaurant, instead of thinking this costs $20 or whatever I'd think about how many hours I had to work to make that $20 and decide if what I was buying was worth that many hours of my time. Was it worth going into my job for those extra hours in order to buy something.

    It was interesting how many things I decided not to buy when I thought of it more directly in terms of hours of work than a piece of paper or plastic in my pocket.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Array
    orion_joel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    1,242

    Default

    Funny you mention that particular perspective of looking at things Vangogh, i put a little time in not that long ago when writing an article, about what it really costs to own a car. I worked out over a 5 year period, it would cost on average for a car worth $25,000 about $30+ per day to own and run that car (there was a bit more background in the article) but i compared this myself really having to work the first 2 hours at work each day just to get to work. Which funny enough is followed by the next 2 hours to pay the tax on what i earn.

    I think the key though is not to really have to look at things from this perspective, but more so to find ways that you can increase what you are earning per hour, so that these expenses are taking less of your time to earn the money for it. I realize this may sound more difficult, however it comes back a lot to if you make $20 an hour, and that is what it costs for a dinner out, how can you increase what you earn per hour so this dinner out does not seem like so much of your time.

    In businesses where your time is linked to your income this is hard, however most businesses would find there is something however small it is that can be done or sold, that can make money that does not require X hours to complete. so the post does not go on to long, a quick example might be someone that does web development, gets a reseller hosting account and starts selling web hosting, the time taken for set up a hosting account should be minimal, and means the average sale value of a client should increase and is generally something they will make money from with a unconnected time factor.

    P.S. If you are unsure of what may be something that you can add to your business that may be able to add income without a big investment in time, please send me a PM and i will see what i can do to help you come up with something, while there are some areas that i may not be able to help with i will do what i can to help.
    Last edited by orion_joel; 08-10-2008 at 01:32 AM. Reason: forgot something
    Joel Brown
    My Travels

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Array
    Spider's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    3,687

    Default

    One of the things that slips in without us even realizing it is Limiting Beliefs. In fact, everything we believe limits us in some way. Sometimes this is good - I believe that crossing the road is dangerous so I proceed with caution, but if I believe, as VG-Steve seems to, that my money should be spent only when there is a good return, I limit my freedom to spend - and thereby, limit my freedom to receive.

    They say the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. I believe this is true because the rich feel capable of spending freely and reap the benefit of that by receiving freely. And the poor, because they find it necessary to limit their spending, also limit their receiving.

    I find I have been following a path similar to VG, though. I decide whether I would prefer to see the money in my bank account or whether I would prefer to have the object in my hand. Looking at it like that, one can see clearly how limiting it is to believe that money is finite. If one can believe that money is infinite, the limitations start to fall away, meaning freedom grows. And with it, riches. That has been my experience.

  10. #10
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    This is turning into a great thread with some interesting ideas about how we all think about money.

    @Joel - In business I'm always looking for ways to increase the rate I earn. Sometimes that means figuring out how to do a task quicker so I can take on more work in the same amount of time. Other times it's in understand how I can ultimately get a greater returning for the same investment of money.

    For example I can charge $X for a custom WordPress theme. I can't charge the same amount for a WP theme, but I can resell it many times over and ideally make more than $X over time. It's more work developing and supporting the theme, but in the context of $/time it scales better.

    @Frederick - That's a great point about limiting beliefs. It's a trap that's easy for all of us to fall into at times. One of my guiding principles in life is that everything is possible. Nothing is impossible. You may not know how something is possible at the moment, but that doesn't make it impossible.

    For a very simple example when I approach learning a new piece of software I just start using it and at some point think it would be nice if the software could do something. I assume it can and then look for how. Almost always I find how in the help files or through a search engine and often in a small amount of time.

    Wealth isn't really finite. It's something that flows in and out of the economy. A big part of business is making sure enough of it flows your way so you can make use of it to grow.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •