What Tennis Can Teach You About Spending
I loved playing tennis when I was in high school and college. With work and kids, though, it took a back seat. A few years ago I started playing again and I was hooked once more. I forgot how much I loved the sport.
One match a week turned into two, then three, and soon I couldn’t get enough playing time. I was playing five times a week! Surprise, surprise, all the sudden I was having minor back and knee pains.
I was talking with one of my teammates about my sore knees. She is at least twenty years my senior and still plays matches, drills and social games. I asked her, “What is your secret, how are you still playing when so many women your age stop?”
She said, “We are all given a certain amount of tennis hours to play. We can play all our remaining hours in our 40s and 50s, and not play in later years due to injuries and strain. Or we can spread it out over our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.” She limits herself to 3 times a week and rarely two days in a row.
I took her advice, and my body thanks her. But as I was listening, I realized there was a parallel between her advice on tennis and spending.
Do you want to spend the bulk of your earnings during your working years, or spread that money out by saving and investing, giving you peace of mind in your 70s, 80s and beyond? The amount you spend in your early years has a significant impact on what you can spend during the later years.
So next time you play your favorite sport, remember her advice on moderation and practice the same principle with your budget.
One more thing. Is there an activity you enjoyed years ago, and want to start again? You won’t regret it!
Shari Greco Reiches