I had one of those
moments years ago when I was so surprised that this world even existed.
A few years ago, Thanksgiving was a rough holiday for
me. My 13 year marriage was coming to an
end. Though I knew it and wanted it –
the ex felt the same way – it was still a difficult transition. It was an end and a beginning, and quite
frankly, I was scared.
What would life be like going forward? What would be the
impact on my sons? How often would I get
to see them? Would I ever spend my life
again with someone else?
A good friend called at that time and suggested drinks. She and I hadn’t seen each other in a while,
and she had gone through a divorce a few years earlier, so I figured I could
catch up with a friend and learn something in the process. My ex had been divorced before, but this was
a new experience for me.
She suggested a local restaurant bar where she knew the
manager. It was Wednesday night, the
night before Thanksgiving.
Wow! Just wow!
I arrived early because I was in the area anyway. I couldn't believe how busy it was. Packed!
Little did I know that the night before Thanksgiving is one of the
busiest nights of the year.
Keep in mind that prior to that year, the night before
Thanksgiving was spent at home. The
routine involved packing as we usually headed to a hotel near the in-laws on
Thursday morning so we didn’t have to make a long drive at night. So for over a dozen years, Wednesday night
was a relatively quiet evening at home doing laundry.
I’ve since come to learn many things about Thanksgiving,
friends, and myself.
What does this have to do with finance?
Well, I didn't know what I didn't know.
My world was doing laundry and packing. My world was a wife and 3 young kids and a long drive in the morning. My world was trying to use up all of the food in the refrigerator as we usually were gone the entire weekend.
My world was doing laundry and packing. My world was a wife and 3 young kids and a long drive in the morning. My world was trying to use up all of the food in the refrigerator as we usually were gone the entire weekend.
When it comes to personal finance, many people are the same
way. People are focused on their
careers. People are focused on their
kids’ activities and school. People look
forward to seeing family (or not).
People look are focused on making Thanksgiving dinner. People are focused on how to get the best
Black Friday deals.
Often, when helping clients, I introduce them to a whole
world of finance, tax law, estate planning, etc. – things they never knew
existed. They might have seen a few
things in a magazine, read something online, or even heard from a relative. What is true is that most people don’t have
the time to study the nuances of tax law, insurance strategy, or optimal debt
payoff strategy because they are busy with life.
Going out and celebrating can cost you money, but not
understanding finances can cost even more.
A beer might cost $4, financing and investing mistakes can cost thousands of dollars.
Enjoy the holidays.
But take some time to reflect and ask yourself – when it comes to your
finances, if something you thought was true turned out not to be true, when do
you want to know?
Happy Thanksgiving!
