I just saw this post by RB40 with the title of “If Money Was No Object…” In it, the author points out how the household would change their spending if they didn’t need/want to worry about money. I believe his post was sparked by a recent lottery that’s at some crazy number.
I thought this would be a great little mental exercise, so why not share it with y’all.
Housing
I was going to say that I’d love a big house, secluded somewhere with a ton of workspace and then realized that I have no desire to take care of it or have a bunch of strangers in my house all the time taking care of it for me.
It also would feel wasteful. My 360 sqft condo in Portland has a Washer/Dryer room that I don’t even know what to do with.
And then I thought how great it would be to own a little condo here in Spain where there are no HOA dues or ongoing property taxes. But, if I wanted that I could buy one for less than $50,000 so it’s not really a money issue, more about having another thing to oversee.
Transportation
I surely must want a better bicycle or an electric motorcycle maybe? Again, not really a financial decision. Am I commuting enough that it would make sense to add to the pollution by purchasing one more item? Hell no.
My Brompton is the shit. I love riding it. The solid tires suck a little but once I get going I stop whining about it. Otherwise, it’s the ultimate bike.
Exercise
I thought, okay, I’m gonna want to sign up for every exercise class out there, get a personal trainer, and take private lessons in tennis and bouldering and… Yea, this actually would break my bank because private classes will add up.
But it’s not a money issue here, either. I might do it for a couple of weeks and soon I’d get bored or would want my free time back. So again, not really sustainable. My gym offers 40+ classes a week for the same price I pay to be a member there, $77/month.
Food
I fucking heart the shit out of food! Obviously, because I’m a little binge eater. So, for this exact reason it’s probably best that I don’t have an unlimited food budget.
The last week before leaving Portland I needed to deplete the contents of my fridge, so I was eating out most of the time. Fancy stuff, vegan stuff, not the cheap shit. I felt gross, man! That stuff is full of oils and sugars, stuff I’ve cut out of my diet for the most part.
I used to love doing a fancy sushi dinner on a double date, get some sake, finish it off with mochi. But those days are gone. It’s not the money, it’s the waistline and the ocean which we’ve left devastated.
Travel
Can’t stand tourism or bouncing from one spot to another, changing hotels, dealing with rental car agencies, and booking tours. I don’t enjoy going through TSA and no matter how miserable I am in a coach seat, it feels wrong to pay the airlines more for that first-class service.
Would I rent a nicer apartment in Barcelona if I had more money? No, I wouldn’t want to feed into that state of excess. I don’t want to breed greed or get myself used to indulgence – it feels good on a certain level but it’s hard to deny that it’s not sustainable.
Donation & Gifting
Would I donate more if I had more money? Hmmm, I doubt it. I wish I could say that I’m that guy but I’m not. I already have more money than I need and more income than I need and I’m only giving a tiny bit away.
I know that if you give me $1 million, I’ll come up with a reason why it’s better for me to keep it. Give me $5 million and I might manage to buy a house for moms but I’ll also find a reason why I should buy something for myself, start a business, or invest it otherwise.
And what would I do with $100, 200, 300 million? I’d most certainly panic, become more fearful, much more conservative, and more greedy. Money isn’t evil but man, it gives a person a lot of power. I’d rather not have that responsibility.