I Have a Financial Dream

In honor of (and hopefully with no offense to) Martin Luther King Day, here is my financial dream:

I have a dream that one day we will all live within our financial means. That we will make sound financial decisions and throw off the shackles of consumerism. As Americans we are guaranteed the opportunity to exercise certain unalienable responsibilities; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution declares these to be rights and while I generally am willing to provide a large deference to the wisdom of the founding fathers here I believe they were mistaken. These are not rights, they are responsibilities. Now that I’ve offended the strict constructionists, let’s see what I can do for the fundamentalists: Good things do not come to those who wait, they come to those who work for it.

The pursuit of happiness and financial freedom are not opportunities handed to the overwhelming majority of us. They are states we have to work and fight for. That’s not a particularly popular sentiment in the consumerist society in which we find ourselves today, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Financial liberty isn’t found in a lottery ticket for the average American, it is found in a lifetime of planning and sacrifice. Sacrifice of short term gains, for long term ones. Sacrificing dinner out tonight for round the world cruise later.

As you enjoy this national holiday, I hope you’ll reflect on your dreams for you and your family.