Are You Obsessed with Money?

Are you all about money?

Obsessed with making more money and having more of it to spend on the things you want?

How would you characterize your relationship with money?

Since I’m known amongst some of my friends and family as the money guy, I often get viewed as being all about money.

I really cringe when I hear that, or when I get the sense that people view me that way. I don’t think they mean any harm by the comment. Still, I want to make it perfectly clear that money (i.e. making more, having more just for the sake of having more, etc.) isn’t what rules my life.

What’s led me to this point in my life (blogging three times a week on the topic of personal finance, having a bunch of money books and magazines strewn about the house, etc.) are a few things, the least of which is money, in my opinion.

Personal Responsibility and Security

There’s a time in my life that I’m not too proud of: post college, when I had to move back in with my parents and rely on them for shelter and employment. It’s a long story, (you can read some of it here) but the bottom line is this: in the end I got fed up with not being responsible for myself and burdening those around me.

Something changed in me during those few months and since then I’ve valued personal responsibility, independence, and securing my future over most other things. I never again want to depend on anyone else or burden them because of my poor choices. Money is just the tool that can help me create that personal responsibility and security.

Another aspect to this is the fact that, as a Christian, I feel that God calls me to take care of myself, those under my care, and those that cannot help themselves. So much so, I feel it’s one of the building blocks for living a life that is pleasing to God.

“If anyone has no care for his family and those in his house, he is false to the faith, and is worse than one who has no faith” – 1 Timothy 5:8

Creating Something of Value

Another reason I do this (spend time each week researching the topics within personal finance and subsequently writing an article) is that I really enjoy creating. This is fun for me. And it’s become somewhat successful.

Even for a guy who’s not that great of a writer. There’s so much that goes on with running a blog: reading, writing, networking, coding, designing, commenting, emailing, selling, and the list goes on. I have a great time running what has essentially become my own small business.

I may eventually grow tired of this subject, but for now I feel like there’s still a bunch to discuss, and more growth to be had with the blog.

Just a quick note to clarify that this is a niche blog written by a real person. But it is not a personal blog, in the traditional sense. The focus here has always been, and will remain on money and finance from my perspective. I say this because I get the feeling sometimes that people may not know the difference between what I’m doing here at PT Money, and what Mrs. PT does with her personal blog, for instance.

Having the Right Perspective

Okay, back to my main point… For us to have success in our own personal dealings with money, I think it’s key to actually put money in it’s place. It’s really not money we’re after.  …It’s happiness, security, the ability to give, the freedom to have guilt-free fun, (fill in this space with what you value).

Money is just one of the tools to help get you there.

So next time you find yourself focusing too much on money, try and remember what you’re really after. What is it you’re obsessed with? Money itself or something greater?

Image by borman818