More than ever before, we live in a time of modern convenience. We are able to get what we want, when we want it. Any online order that takes more than 2 days to arrive is too slow, any meal that we have to cook for over an hour will have to wait and any internet speed that doesn’t allow us to watch Netflix just won’t do! Unfortunately, this mentality also seeps into our personal finances and we find ourselves wanting more, quicker. For many of us that aren’t multi-millionaires, this means taking on some debt. Debt is this magical concept that allows us to parlay the desire to get what we want even when we can’t afford it. From buying a car/house/clothes/paying for school, debt seems to be the way to go. For many of us, it’s the practical way of life. How else are we going to live a balanced and healthy life without taking on some debt?

Hunt like an alligator

Contrast the here and now scenario with an alligator. An alligator isn’t concerned with keeping up with other alligators, and is content to patiently wait for it’s next meal. It lies in wait, even for hours at a time, slowly and methodically saving up energy while it waits for it’s next meal. It doesn’t’ get distracted and doesn’t waste energy on activities that won’t help it achieve it’s goal. Its sole focus is on getting it’s next meal, and it’s willing to patiently wait until that moment arrives. When that moment does arrive, it’s ready and seizes the opportunity.

It pays to save up and be ready

Similar to the alligator, I’d like to encourage you to adopt a similar mentality in your personal finance, learning to save up energy (aka money) and wait until that perfect moment arrives. Consider the following real life example from a YMF reader: Josh. Josh was in the market for a new car. He had saved up and was able to take his time in looking. He wasn’t in a rush and had the luxury of waiting for the right vehicle. When he found the one he wanted, he unfortunately found out that he was the third interested party that day. Lucky for him, the first two people were hung up trying to get financing from their bank. Josh had the cash ready and was ready to hand it over. Who do you think the seller ended up selling to? Doing a little saving and a little homework on the front end goes a long way!

Prepare for the long game

So often when time is against us we are forced to make less than ideal decisions. We are forced to pay more and get less when our hand is forced. The best way to not find yourself in a situation where you have to make a quick decision is to plan ahead. Often planning ahead means saving. If you know your car needs replacing, go ahead and start saving early, so you can be ready when the right car comes along. More often than not, we are able to make our own luck and find our own success, and it won’t come to someone who doesn’t have all his or her ducks in a row! Learn to say no to little things today so you can save up and say yes to the right things when the time is right!