Sacrifice

"There must be more to life than having everything!" Maurice Sendak

Many of us don't know the true meaning of sacrifice because our lives have been so plentiful we've grown accustomed to getting whatever we want, whenever we want it. These more affluent times are a huge contrast to 50 years ago when a generation of Australians lived through times where basic needs were not something to be taken for granted.

Our standard of living has improved and creature comforts have become more accessible. At the same time, so has easy access to an endless number of consumer goods, and the credit needed to purchase them today, whether we have the money or not.

Having grown up with many luxuries readily available, we've changed our whole perspective of want and need. Many kids growing up today will struggle to imagine Foxtel being anything but a bare necessity, whereas 40 years ago just having a television was a luxury. In many respects, luxury has become the norm. The latest mobile phone, a new iPod, a new car? many of us spend our time accumulating all of these things on a regular basis; and we've gotten used to outsourcing many domestic duties such as cleaning and ironing.

So what's wrong with all of this? Nothing, if you can afford it. But let's face it, if you were debt-free, had money invested for your future security, with spare cash to spend on the latest model BMW 3 series, then you probably wouldn't be reading this article. In order to achieve any level of financial success it will probably require you to change your ways on some level in order to succeed.