Invest in You - the best investment

Anytime you invest in you, it's a good investment. Just make certain the investment is meaningful.

An ice cream cone isn't meaningful. A self-improvement class is.

There are those who maintain that considering a purchase to be an investment is really only a justification for spending money. I don't agree.

I think many purchases can be investments, and I'm here to give you some examples.

I've never been much for buying expensive shoes. They always seemed just too expensive. I changed my mind recently when I strained my feet by walking in flip flops for an extended time. After that I bought a good pair of shoes and a good pair of boots. In addition, I bought many sets of arch supports for these and other shoes.

Everything was quite costly, but my feet feel great now. The shoes and arch supports turned out to be a good way of investing money, and not an expense after all.

If you want to know just how good an investment shoes can be, try walking around with a small stone in your shoe. You'll get the idea that good shoes are a good way to invest in you, no matter how little you're on your feet during the day.

Usually, any purchase or expense that relates to making money will be a good way to invest in you. For my former consulting business, I bought a state-of-the-art desktop computer and a printer. They served me very well for about 6 years.

The flip side is also true. Purchases that will be a constant financial drain are generally not a good candidate as an investment. How about that mothership motorhome that uses insurance, licensing fees and storage fees, and you take it out perhaps once or twice a year just to see if it still really gets only 7 miles per gallon.

You can talk yourself into just about anything, and this includes making purchases under the guise of an investment. To be a smart shopper, you need to be well practiced at assessing whether something is an investment or simply a purchase.

Focusing your money on investments first and foremost is a good approach to money management. Instead of saving your money, you can use it, work with it and enjoy it.

What else is there to make an investment in? How about tools, equipment, experience and training, gardens for growing food, insulation to conserve energy, solar and wind powered electrical generating equipment? How about time spent with a mentor or tutor? The list goes on and on.

A bright financial future requires wise investing to make it come about. Frugal living would suggest that time and money "sunk into" activities be done wisely so you realize return on investment over the long haul.

Look into the future and see what it is you want to achieve, then plan to invest in you and "your world" to help take you where you want to go. Don't jump in with both feet before looking carefully. Consider what's worth putting time and money into in order to help get you to where you want to be.

Done with Invest in You, back to Mindset of Frugality