the richest man in atherstone

My wife and I have had a bit of a torrid time, just lately. We haven't been happy with each other of recent times for many reasons, which I won't go into here as this is a 'finance' blog and not a 'feelings' blog.

The reason I am mentioning it is because one of my wife's criticisms of me is that I am too frugal. She explained that saving money is good but I have taken it too far, counting every single penny and forsaking my relationships to preserve my money.

She's absolutely right! We haven't been out together for a while, hell we haven't had a takeaway for yonks because I complain about the cost. I've been neglecting my friends and family for the sake of a few quid and I know that these things are and will always be much more important than money. I think I've been focused on saving and have forgotten about all the other things that are important to me.

In reality, I can now see that spending £30 on strengthening a relationship pays for itself many times over and at a much better rate than putting it in my savings account.

'The Richest Man in Babylon' also recommends that the reader does not forsake their family and friends in the quest for wealth. It is possible to both spend and save, as the following quotes from the book explain:

"Budget thy expenses that thou mayest have coins to pay for thy necessities, to pay for thy enjoyments and to gratify thy worthwhile desires without spending more than nine-tenths of thy earnings."

"Therefore, seven-tenths of all I earn shall be used to provide a home, clothes to wear, and food to eat, with a bit extra to spend, that our lives be not lacking in pleasure and enjoyment."

Although subtle, the message is there in the book. I need to invest in my personal relatioships just as much as I need to invest in my personal finance. I've never seen this message until now but now I intend to make sure I do not become a 'scrooge' in terms of money.

What's the point in being the richest man in the graveyard?

We've sorted out our differences now and love each other more than we have ever done before. I hope that this post will make readers think twice before they get into the same situation as me.