What type of person are you:
- The type who lives every minute as if it were the last?
- The cautious type who doesn’t do anything without thinking about consequences?
- The type who tries to balance the two and live the present without losing perspective of the future?
You should live life to its fullest, but you should not neglect your future either. Your priority should be to find the balance between seizing the moment and building a better tomorrow. Exaggerations on any side can be detrimental.
If you focus on having fun and making your dreams come true but you do not invest in the future, you may wake up one day and realize your life is ruined. What happens if you lose your job or someone you love develops a serious and expensive-to-treat condition, and you have no money and no solutions?
On the other hand, you should not exaggerate with your worries about the future either. You probably have a lot of dreams and plans, but if you focus on them exclusively and fail to enjoy the present, you will one day realize life flew by and you missed out on everything it had to offer.
How Do You Live Life Without Neglecting the Future?
The solution is to invest a small part of your time, energy, and income to secure your future. This way, you can still enjoy the present and everything it brings, but you also build a promising future. It is true, investing into the future now may leave a little less time and money for partying, but it will also provide peace of mind.
You will be practically building a safety net, taking measures to ensure that, should anything bad happen, you will have something to hang on to and build on. You will make sure that you don’t fall, or, if you do, instead of getting hurt, you can get back up and start ascending again.
The question is not whether you should invest in your future because the benefits of doing so are incontestable. The real question is what you should invest in, and I have a few suggestions. Keep reading to find out what they involve!
5 Investments into a Better Future You Should Make Today
1. Homeownership
Unless you have inherited a home and you are already a homeowner, you should do everything in your power to become one. If you do not, you’ll spend a considerable amount of money every month on rent. The idea is to spend that money on mortgage installments instead. In a few years, you’ll have the roof over your head guaranteed.
Besides peace of mind, homeownership may also represent a smart investment. According to 2018 census data, the homeownership rate in the U.S. is 64.2%. Moreover, even if you later decide you do not need your property, with rents and acquisition prices on the rise, your property will be worth more within a couple of years.
2. Insurance
If you have not done so already, now would be a good time to consider additional health insurance coverage. You are young, strong, and healthy, but what if disease strikes? The right insurance policy, with a reliable insurer, can pay for any treatment you may need, no matter how expensive, and help with your retirement plan.
A great starting point for those wishing to get the best deal is their existing insurer. If you already have car insurance and home insurance from the same provider, adding new policies to the plan will surely help you save some money.
Nowadays, competition in the insurance market is tight, and providers do everything they can to preserve clients, offering fidelity discounts and many attractive package deals. However, if you have a hard time covering the costs of your additional coverage, my article on savings may help.
3. Self-Improvement
You currently have a job, and that is great. However, job stability is a rarity in today’s market. Competition is tight, and businesses fall apart all the time. You need to make sure that, in case you lose your job, you will always be able to find a new one.
You can do that by taking your education and skills to the next level, with online and traditional courses. Many online learning platforms offer short lessons you can follow from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is find the right one for you.
The better you are in your line of work, the easier finding a new job is. Additional skills weigh heavily in the eyes of potential employers, and knowledge brings power and self-confidence. For all these reasons and more, you should never stop learning and you should continuously challenge yourself to become a better person.
4. Family
Sometimes, we take our family members for granted and we expect them to be there for us even though we are never really there for them. Personally, I believe in reciprocity, in giving before receiving, so I advise you to spend time with your loved ones, show them you care, and be there for them when they need you.
Whether we’re talking about spouses, siblings, parents, or children, they all need time and attention. They need to see you care, they need to see you are dependable, they need to receive proofs of your feelings and appreciation.
Meet their needs, and they will meet yours. They will support you and help you when things get tough, believe in you, and encourage you to fulfill your dreams when no one else does. More than that, all your accomplishments will seem greater with them on your side to share the joy.
5. Friends
A while ago, I was writing about how important it is to be picky with your clothes, friends, and time. I hope you’ve managed to find those few but reliable friends my article was talking about. Once you have them, it is up to you to keep them. That will not be possible if you do not invest time and effort into your relationship.
It’s not enough to just befriend a few great persons. If you want them to remain your friends, you need to spend time with them, get to know them, show them they matter to you, and be there for them when they need you. If you do, they will return the favor and be there for you when/if things get tough.
Drawing the Line – Are These Investments Worth It?
It probably seems easier to spend your money to the last cent, to see your family and friends only when you need them, to enjoy every minute as if it were your last and never worry about the future. However, imagine poverty without a roof over your head and access to medical services.
Imagine finding a job when you don’t know anything and you have no or little work experience. Imagine facing life’s challenges without someone to hold your hand and help you out, without the unconditional love and support of your friends and family. It would be difficult, to say the least.
You have to admit that having a roof over your head, a degree to show to a potential employer, insurance to cover medical services and retirement, and someone to believe in you and help you get through difficult times is worth gold. Invest in them now, and your future will be secured!
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