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The title of this article may surprise you. You may be thinking in your head, "Of course rich people have fun! They have lots of money! They can do whatever they want. They can drop thousands of dollars on vacations and not even blink an eye."
I would venture to guess that most people that spend money on frivolous things are not necessarily happy. They put on happy faces and spend lots of money, but that spending may not make them happy. Studies have shown that Americans are less happy today than in previous times in history. We have the greatest technological advances, but that doesn't necessarily breed happiness.
The rich people that I am referring to aren't the billionaires that splurge on everything. These wealthy people are average next door Americans living on less than they make and they are saving for their future. These live a life full of wealth, with less stress and less spending. In this article, I will focus on two ways wealthy people live their life to the fullest.
Enjoy Your Work
This is probably the most important way to have fun. Lots of us spend 40 hours or more at our day jobs. Lots of people feel like they have to work in miserable careers to make enough money to support their lifestyle and families.
The truth in this matter is that you should be working in a job that you enjoy. Just because your job pays the bills, doesn't mean that you should be stuck in that miserable job year after year. A miserable work experience causes people to spend more money.
Just from my experiences alone, I have met lots of teachers that don't enjoy their job and complain about it everyday. They can't wait for Friday to celebrate the weekend. I have even heard some of them say, "These students make me drink!"
I know there are more jobs than just teaching jobs that cause workers to shout, "Thank God It's Friday" and head out to the nearest happy hour. Working at a miserable job will cause you to spend more on stuff, experiences, eating out and adult beverages.
You are filling the void of a rewarding career with stuff and food. You are filling the void of an unhappy life with that feeling that adult beverages give you. You can't wait for retirement.
Instead of working at a job that makes you miserable, find something that you enjoy and start doing it. Some of you may say, "What I want to do won't support my family." To that statement I will say, "You can make anything profitable."
Just look at Dave Ramsey, he is a highly paid teacher. He basically teaches people to handle money. He didn't go work at school and make peanuts, but instead he forged his own path towards a career of teaching in an entrepreneurial way.
Start looking at your job in a different light and it will give you passion. Instead of thinking of your job as j-o-b, start thinking of it as a mission. Each day you have a mission, and that mission shouldn't be your paycheck. Your mission should be your passion.
You just have to find the career or field that brings you enjoyment. You may not want to be an entrepreneur, but you have to find a career and job that you like. You have to find something that matches your passion. We all have a passion for something...what is yours?
Enjoy Life in Inexpensive Ways
In connection with a career and job that you love, you have to enjoy life in inexpensive ways.
Expensive Ways to Enjoy Life
- Movies
- Water Parks
- Amusement Parks
- Golf
- Go Carting
- Sporting Events
- Happy Hours
- Eating Out
- Shopping
- Vacations
- Others that I can't think of at the moment...
Above I have listed 10 ways that can be very expensive ways to have fun. I actually like all of the things that I have listed above. I have done all of them and I have even spent a lot on them. You must remember to do all of these things in moderation.
I maybe go to a movie once or twice a year and I don't even know the last time I have gone golfing or go-carting. And with vacations, you must make sure to save up for your trips. These things are fun, but their cost does not always bring enough reward.
Instead, find ways to enjoy life everyday with inexpensive entertainment.
Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Life
- Spending Time with Family
- Going For A Walk/Run/Bike Ride
- Going on a Staycation
- Having a Picnic
- Visiting a State Park or National Park
- Talking
- Finding Free Events in your Town or City
- Having a Family Game Night (Board Games)
- Playing a Game of Frisbee Golf, Ultimate Frisbee, Tennis, Basketball or Football
- Watching the Sunset
- Reading a Book
- Others that I can't think of at the moment...
Sure some of these things can seem boring or even similar, but these are the things that bring me enjoyment. I enjoy going for a walk and spending time with my family. I enjoy running around our lake behind the house and I am always in awe of every sunset that I get to watch.
Related: The Benefits of Nature
Entertainment does not have to be expensive. Entertainment does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. It just has to be something that you and your family enjoy. My family enjoys being active and enjoys the simple things in life.
We can be too caught up in all the new and fancy technology, but sometimes the best things in life were provided by God. The land that we walk on everyday was a playground created for us. Go out and use that playground!
Connecting the Two Ways of Having Fun
In the end, it comes down to what is most essential to you and your family. Can you find something besides too much technology and passive entertainments? How do you want to show up with life every day? Will you be present everyday or just sleep walk through your life?
A job that drains you, will eventually hurt your relationships. Passive entertainments don't always allow time for family bonding (like watching a movie or TV). You sit there in silence and don't get the opportunity to deeply connect.
Similarly, Mark Sisson at Mark's Daily Apple wrote a compelling article on how there is no such thing as a perfect work life balance and I have quoted his article on the subject below.
““Because ultimately, a satisfying balance won’t come with parsing out hours and minutes. It comes from staying in touch with what you consider the most essential parts of yourself—who you love, what fascinates you, how you want to contribute to the world, what you want to experience most in this life.””
In all of our lives, we have a choice of how we want to spend our time and money. We can have more freedom and quality time with our families if we spend less money and gives ourselves a cushion. We can enjoy our lives by finding work that we enjoy and time to spend with our friends and families.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you find it hard to find time for both family and work? Is your work fulfilling? Answer in the comments section below.
