“The most amazing lesson in aerodynamics I ever had was the day I climbed a thermal in a glider at the same time as an eagle.
I witnessed, close up, effortlessness and lightness combined with strength, precision and determination.”
– Norman Foster
We are in a constant state of motion, we are either soaring upwards, or falling down. Moving forward or going backwards. Every single day our financial state is either improving or getting worse. The direction we go, is ultimately our choice.
For Valentine’s day most couples go out to dinner, or dinner AND a movie. There’s nothing wrong with spending money, just as long as you do it in an intentional and responsible way. Instead of spending the holiday as consumers, my husband and I had a full day adventure photographing eagles, and it was awesome!
Eagles are fascinating birds and have been highly regarded throughout history by many different cultures. Native American tribes see eagles as sacred. When an emperor died in Ancient Rome, a golden eagle would be released at his funeral to carry his soul to the Gods. There’s the epic Kazakh’s in Mongolia who are still hunting with eagles to this day. In Greek mythology there is the Aetos Dios, the “Eagle of Zeus”. In Christianity the eagle can represent salvation. The Garuda is a symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism. And obviously, the bald eagle is the national bird of the USA.
Now what does this have to do with becoming a saver not a spender? Let’s take a look at what eagles symbolize.
Guardianship. Action. Freedom. Control. Vision. Power. Authority. Inspiration. Loyalty. Optimism.
When you take action and save your money, that allows you to have more freedom, power, and control in your life. We should be guardians of our money, instead of being slaves to it. Treat our finances with authority. When you save money you feel more optimistic about life. It allows you to have vision and live with inspiration. When saving money is a priority, you are essentially showing loyalty to yourself.
Most people think you are either born as a saver or a spender. Growing up I was told I was the latter. It was nearly impossible for me to save. I’d get jealous of my siblings who could so easily save their money. I truly thought I was stuck and doomed to always be a spender while others built up savings. Up until my early twenties, I didn’t know I could change. I didn’t know I could stop being a spender and become a saver. None of us are born as spenders or savers, they are learned behaviors. YOU can decide who you want to be. YOU always have the power to change.
Here’s a disturbing fact for you, 63% of American’s don’t have enough money in savings to cover a $500 emergency!
How to Become a Saver
Why:
Before you can make a change, you need to address your emotional and mental reasons for your current actions. Why do you have the urge to spend? Do you think if you don’t spend it now you won’t have the chance later?
Why do you want to save money? It’s important to be very clear with yourself about what your goals are and why. Is there something specific you want to save for? Are you saving so you no longer have to live paycheck to paycheck?
Why wouldn’t you want to have money in savings? Forgo the instant gratifications today, so you can have peace of mind and an even better tomorrow.
Ditch the excuses.
If you spend $3 every day on something non-essential (coffee, soda, snacks, fast food, impulse purchases, etc) … that equates to over $1,000 per year. If you are reading this right now, there is absolutely no reason on earth why you shouldn’t have some money in savings!
Perspective:
Change your perspective. Question your beliefs about money. Focus on developing an abundance mentality.
In the consumerism trap you will never have enough, you will always want more. Ever bought new clothes only to get tired of them and then need even newer clothes? Or that iphone that you desperately needed 6 months ago that is now totally ancient and you now need the latest version? Going down the road of consumerism may bring fleeting “happiness”, but it will never give you lasting joy. Change your thinking, change your habits, change your life.
Spend less. Stop shopping as a hobby. Separate needs from wants. Realize when something is a first world problem. Stop putting yourself in situations where you are tempted to spend. Don’t aimlessly walk around shops or casually browse online stores. Be intentional. If you need groceries, make a shopping list and stick to it. Calculate the true cost of things. Delay making purchases. Find alternatives.
Stop being a slave to your appetites. Start having self control over your spending.
Action:
Make saving a priority. Create a plan. Have a designated place for your savings. A bank account specifically for savings, a jar at your house, whatever you want as long as it is separate from the rest of your money. Decide how much you want to save each month.
Get in the habit, start small if you need to. Only able to save $10? That’s better than nothing. Be deliberate. Don’t “wait til the end of the month and see what’s leftover”. Always save first! Budget your money so that saving is a priority.
Automate your savings if you need to. You can have your bank take a certain amount automatically from your paycheck and into your savings account. Or if you set up $10 a day to automatically transfer to savings, after one year you’ll have $3,650 saved. To me it feels more empowering to consciously transfer money to savings. It feels good when you are able to have self-discipline and transfer the money yourself. Do whatever works best for you.
Try making savings a game or challenge. Set a deadline. Save every $5 bill you get. Start saving a 1% increase of your income each month, after a year you will be saving 12% more. Get your family on board and be creative about it. Make it fun.
Resist the temptation to spend what you’ve saved. Break through your self imposed barriers. Don’t self sabotage. In my late teens I had such a struggle to get my savings to more than $300. I’d save around that much, give up, then spend what I had saved. I’d get frustrated at how little the amount was, or something would come along that I “needed”. Once I was finally able to get over that hurdle, I was able to continue saving and feel strong against the temptation to spend it. Maybe you are the same as I once was. Your amount or reasons may be different, but the point is, we all have hurdles in life. Invisible limits we think we have. You can overcome anything. Put your heart, mind, and soul to it.
You just gotta do it. Don’t make it complicated. Simply just start saving your money.
“The eagle has no fear of adversity.
We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror!”
– Joyce Meyer
I highly recommend reading or listening to “On the Wings of Eagles”. It’s a really great talk by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Remember, it’s never too early or too late to start saving, and no amount is ever too little.
It’s your choice to be a saver or a spender. I choose to be a saver.
Let’s be like eagles, kings of the skies!
“Farewell!” they cried,
“wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey’s end!”
That is the polite thing to say among eagles.
“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks,”
answered Gandalf, who knew the correct reply.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
