Saving for the future: A Perspective

I was reading a post over on GetRichSlowly and it got me to thinking about the future. To paraphrase the article: She is 28; she makes $43K/year; she has $30k in retirement, a car to be paid off in 5 months, student loans to be paid off in 3 years at an aggressive $270/month, and nearly perfect credit. But contrarily, she seems unhappy with her financial situation, as others around her are out living life and taking vacations while she peddles by on ~ $700/month.

As I was reading the article, I could not help but to picture myself in one of two extremes at the age of 28. The first extreme following in exactly the same footsteps as our protagonist: Pinching every penny and living for the future for fear of a meager seniorhood. The second extreme involves my having everything that I covet as a poor college student... a home theater, a motorcycle, a city condo, etc. but being totally unprepared for the future (baby, layoff). I've never been the type to wast money frivolously, but on the other hand I do like to treat myself every once in a while.

To get back on topic, the title of the post is "When Does It All Pay Off". The first thing that came to mind after reading the article is...It Doesn't. If you always have your heart set on the future, then you will never take the time to enjoy the present. You have to take the time to enjoy yourself, or life will be long and unhappy, but secure. I do not advocate living beyond one's means or buying a bunch of crap, but doing things that make you happy every now and then helps to keep you sane.

Never mind when it all pays off. When does it all end? I don't think a person wakes up one day and says, "I'm financially secure. Now it's time to start living life."

Have a weekend getaway every few months. Go out on the town with friends some nights. Buy those $100 shoes you've been eyeing for four months. Just not all at once. If stretched out over the course of a year, these things wouldn't set you back far at all in your overall plan.