Are you one of the persons that believe that more is better? For many, many years (including myself) the thought that “more” defined in many ways happiness, receiving more satisfaction and in fact enjoying life in improved ways were to play a big role and key in our future.

Interesting enough, here is what having “more” usually means. Having “more” for many people equals, having more money. Having more to spend on ourselves and our loved ones, either for satisfaction or for plainly to spoil ourselves and reward ourselves to feel good and even better.

If we have a good car, we need to have, perhaps, a sexier car next time. Forget the Toyota Corolla, I want a Lexus next time. Tamara has a great line of cloth, she works the 9-5pm traditional life, nothing surprising. After all, it’shealthy to gain experience and meet new people. Her paycheck comes by-weekly. What does she does? She spends 20% of her income in cloth and top of the line outfits to suit the store fashion style and demands to keep the job. She pays her car and after three years of hard work and great overall work she gets promoted to assistant manager. She buys the wanted Lexus!

After a few years Tamara starts to notice she has her young, fine looking and top producing manager as a boss. Tamara ask her in a friendly conversation about the manager’s goals with the company and the manager says; “I’m staying here until this company doesn’t pulls a penny more, it’s good as you know girl!” Tamara smiles and subconciously shouts to herself “bad news!”  I either stay here or start looking for more work to improve and get myself “more” the next time.

Well, Tamara’s life is a regular case here at Puerto Rico and up in the states. Some work their jobs satisfied of their accomplishment, however, others see them as a way of having “more” and as necessary. Most often, when responsabilities of mortgage, bills, loans, cars and all the likes reunite in statements, it turns out that more is actually not better if keeping the routine.

Sure, we can save, save and save. But the more we want more, more and more as an employed person - the more a person has to work in hours. The less amount of vacation he should share and the more overtimes he would need to do in order to break even and have a little some for him or her as reward.

Which leads this for a next discussion. Is getting more better, for your financial independence?

John