Pay now and play later
There are two paths you can take in life: you either can pay now and play later, or play now and pay later. Regardless which path you choose, one thing is for certain: your life will demand a payment.
If you want to get somewhere in life, whether it’s in your career, with your money, a talent, or even in a relationship, you’re going to have to exert yourself at some point in order to reap the rewards you desire. There’s no free lunch in life that ultimately doesn’t require a payment of some kind.
In the business, labor, or service
world, the people who have moved up in
their careers or jobs are often the ones
who made great sacrifices to obtain the
capabilities necessary to open doors of
opportunity. They buckled down at some
point in their lives despite any personal
or domestic challenges and obtained the
education, certifications, credentials, or
special experience necessary to improve
their lives or careers. They paid a price
up front to be where they are now.
Without having paid that price, their
life situations would have remained
stagnant. 
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Look around and observe the retirement situations of various people. Those who paid and invested earlier in their careers and kept it up are living with more financial freedom and great medical benefits. Those who chose to spend their extra money on other “more important” things throughout the years are having to now work with aged bodies because their social security benefits don’t cut it. Many have bare bones healthcare and some have no choice but to burden family members for assistance.
It’s important to pay now and play later with your finances as well, especially if you are on a super-tight budget. Don’t get antsy and spend all of your money when you’re fortunate enough to have some land in your lap. Save some of it so you can afford to pay for things that unexpectedly jump up and bite you.
Playing first and paying later may
work for some people but for most it’s
like indulging in a scrumptious plate of
steak and lobster while the quicksand is
rising above their waste. It tastes good
for sure--until their head begins to sink.
Me personally, I’d rather work hard to
get out of the quicksand, then rinse off,
shower, and head to Red Lobster.
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When it comes to credit cards, I give young adults this advice when purchasing medium and small-ticket items: it’s better to save then buy than to borrow, buy, and owe. Credit cards, when not properly managed, are the perfect example of how playing first will make the cost of paying later much greater than it would have been had the discipline of saving been exercised in advance of spending. Credit cards, though, aren’t completely evil. They can help in a pinch if you have the discipline to adhere to an organized pay-back plan. But in general, my advice about spending is this: If you want it but don’t need it and can’t afford it, then don’t buy it.
Lastly, if you’re someone who is fortunate enough to have a God-given talent that most people can only dream about, don’t waste that talent or the opportunity to hone it. Put in the work to develop and exhibit it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed someone who “took the summer off” or took their talent for granted and then got their butt kicked by someone with less talent and more motivation. Playing before paying often leads to losing when you should be winning!
So choose the path of paying now and playing later. In the long run you will be much better off.
~ The End ~
