I make it a habit to follow and consume a variety of voices concerning investing and personal finance. I believe there is always something to be learned – both from those we agree with and those we may not be fully aligned with at all times.

Earlier this week, I saw a post from an individual I follow on social media (who I would put in the later category). His recent message (listed below) definitely gave me something to think about

His Post:

To simplify your financial life, routinely:

1. Pick 1-2 areas to cut spending
2. Pick 1-2 areas to spend MORE on

He had me at number 1 – but number 2 definitely caught me off guard. Spend more?! Well, that is definitely not my default setting!

The point was well taken however and in fact, I wrote about this concept earlier this summer, in terms of focusing on quality vs. cost (if you missed it, you can read that post here). Maybe someone is trying to tell me something, putting yet another post in front of me encouraging spending vs. savings!

Once again, I was reminded that in some cases, spending more on certain items can be beneficial to our financial and overall health.

I decided to play along and give this some thought. Here is what I came up with:

1-2 areas to cut spending

My first target is going to be my cable bill. I find discussions with the cable company to be rather exhausting and frustrating (why do they always give better deals to new customers vs. 20+ year customers?). However, it is time to call and negotiate this bill – and to evaluate whether I can get by with just streaming.

My second spending target is going to be “backstock.” I was in the process of having my basement remodeled when my contractor moved away. As a result, my “backstock” (ie: extras of things I use regularly such as paper products, protein powders, cooking supplies, all the other Costco deals one just can’t pass up!) is shoved in various places versus being nicely organized and visible. This disorganized chaos has made it harder for me to know what I have to use up vs. what I need to buy more of, resulting in some overbuying, Yikes. I’m going to get that area organized (even with it staying unfinished until I can find a new contractor), take inventory, and stop buying more until all is used up!

1-2 areas to spend more

Note: Reading his initial post, I believe the spirit was to find items to spend more on that would simplify your financial life (perhaps things like a financial/tax advisor, good budgeting software, etc). I felt as though I was pretty strong in those areas already so I decided to focus on more wholistic health/well-being items

My first area of focus is going to be preventative/proactive medicine. After my bout with shingles earlier this year, I’m sadly very aware of the reactive vs. proactive nature of our medical system, as well as the need to be your own advocate. I’m in the process of evaluating various options for a full physical, nutritional, and complete medical assessment (beyond what I’ve been receiving from annual physicals and the traditional medical system). I have a few ideas I’m looking into – but if you have gone down a similar path, please let me know

My second are of more spending is going to be on travel (and removing any anticipated obstacles when doing so). After over two years of not being able to travel freely/without worry, it’s time to get back on the road and see clients and family/friends. While there are other ways to keep in touch, nothing can replace that face to face contact! It’s time for me to invest more in those trips – and I am also giving myself permission to spend what’s needed to remove friction and obstacles while on the road. Whether that’s upgrading my airplane seat (to allow for easier/less stressful boarding) or arranging a car service (versus worrying about ride share in a strange place or navigating airport parking in early morning hours), I’m going to give myself permission to choose safety/low hassle over cost!

There you have it. My plans to spend less – and my plans to spend more. I’m curious how would you answer these same questions? Reply more or send me a message – I’d love to know!

Save on (and spend too….within reason!),