On… Personal Finance

When you visit a financial planner, you don’t ask questions first - the financial planner does. Why? Because everyone’s financial circumstances are different and the planner has to understand your situation to make  a plan that works for you. There is no one size fits all solution. After all, personal finance is personal. Here’s a few stories….

I have a friend who is rich enough to retire if he chooses to. However, he plans to build a mansion, and that would put him in debt for many years to come. Is living in a mansion better than financial independence and early retirement ? I don’t know. Maybe.

My wife’s ex-colleague quit his job as a professional in a mining company to become a park ranger. He would probably be earning much less in his new job but he would be enjoying his new career more. Is job satisfaction more important than money? I don’t know. Maybe.

My mother in law has a friend who has been separated from her husband for more than 10 years, living only with her kids. The husband has been working in another country to pursue his career and probably never got to see his children grow up. Is career more important than time with the family? I don’t know. Maybe.

The list goes on. Each unusual to me, but not to the person whose story is being told. People project their own situation unto others and judge others through their own lens. And they think others are on the wrong (financial) path because that is not the path that they would take.

However, little did they realize that other peoples objective/destination can be  different. Some desire money, some desire time, some desire to retire early, some desire not to retire……. Don’t Criticize, Compare or Copy (other peoples plan) because everyone is different! If the destination is different, so must the path. As the Barefoot Investor said, “tread your own path”.