How Much Money Do You Need?

The Three Camps

How much money do YOU need to live a comfortable life? By “comfortable life,” I mean having enough money to live leisurely, travel anywhere, and pursue your goals and dreams at your own pace and schedule.

There are three camps as it relates to people’s views on money.

Those in Camp One believe money is evil! Camp Two thinks money is everything! People in Camp Three treat money with suspicion.

Camp One folks scorn money. They swear by the gods that money is the most corrupting influence facing humanity. People in this camp blame money for everything, from causing messy divorces to bloody wars and fueling substance abuse and addictions.

The Camp Two folks believe money has a bad reputation only with people who don’t have it or those with little. And for the people in Camp Three, they are the sophisticated minimalists who understand the value of money but believe it is more important to remove themselves from the distraction of excess possessions and materialism.

Why Money Is Important

It is true that money is complicated and can impact people’s lives in significant ways. But is money really the culprit? For those of us who have had issues with money, was money the responsible agent that caused our dilemmas? Or was it our poor judgment regarding how we managed our earnings, debt, and investing that got us into financial trouble?

The reality is, money is essential.

• Money allows us to have more control over our lives and enables us to chart our own paths with fewer obstacles.
• Money is necessary because it will allow us to give our children the best exposure and access through education, healthcare, and social networking.
• Money is important because we can use it to support our communities and fund causes that benefit humanity on a massive scale.

The Takeaway

Regardless of one’s relationship with money, there is no denying money’s impact on almost every facet of our everyday existence.

Anyone with a modicum of truthful common sense knows that having money does not lead to fulfillment. But money is a proven commodity and medium of exchange that can make life more comfortable; thereby, reducing anxiety and stress and increasing one’s happiness quotient. Money makes the best things in life better.

As Zig Ziglar once put it, “Money isn’t everything … but it ranks right up there with oxygen.”

What are your views on money…is it something, nothing, or everything?