413: 13 Ways to Finesse the Art of Spending Money

"The best use of money is a tool to leverage who you are, but never to define who you are."—Morgan Housel, author of The Art of Spending Money

If you ever want to know what a culture values, what a country values, look at their tax laws. I will never forget the wisdom shared by Martin Ginsberg, a tax attorney and the husband of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on how a country's subsidies reveal the guiding values of its populace through tax breaks or credits. I share this because, simply because it is the law, but that doesn't mean it needs to be the law that guides your life principles. Similarly, we see titles for the Richest person under 30, or a list of the world's billionaires on the cover of countless magazines each year, and again, they wouldn't create the list and place it on the cover if it didn't sell.

Yet again, the bustling culture projected in the media supports the culture they need to stay in business or to remain in office. This doesn't answer the question of what it means to live a fulfilling life—a life of contentment.

I start with this point because it would be understandable to mistakenly think that having more money, having the latest trend of décor, clothing, [fill in the blank for the latest trend of anything seen or discussed on social media, television, publications, etc.] is the path to a better life. But the truth is, there is no concrete formula, and your most successful approach to financial freedom, once you have learned the basics of money management, will be unique to your life journey and the lifestyle that nourishes you.

And there in lies the art of spending money.

As we know there are countless books on financial guidance, and having read many of them over the decades, there are constant contradictions, alongside worthwhile bits of wisdom and expertise. Often in the same book.

In today's episode/post, I am going to be pulling quotes from a recent book that was published, The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel, however, this books falls into that category I just mentioned. And my approach to extrapolating useful insights follows his own advice, have a strong filter. We'll talk about that more later the final point on this list, but essentially, apply critical thinking skills to any book you read, bringing to the table your previous experience and knowledge, so you can know with clarity what is worth grabbing and applying to your life and what is not.

Overarchingly, Housel offers an abundance of wisdom, much of which aligns with living a life of contentment, and that is why I wanted to bring you this list of how to finesse the art of spending.

"Money itself doesn't buy happiness, but it can help you find independence and purpose—both key ingredients for a happier life if you cultivate them." —Morgan Housel

How we choose to spend our money is personal, it is something we must make with an independent mind that is wise in knowing when we don't know something about our finances and to find experts in the fields we need to better understand.

With sound money management skills – budgeting, savings, retirement – topics that have each been discussed at length in the many posts found in TSLL's Money Archived posts, we can now explore how to best spend our money to live the life that supports, nourishes and brings us peace of mind. Let's explore 13 ways to do just that.

~Find the Show Notes for this episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast413