I heard the term mental accounting not that long ago and since then it has really resonated with me. In an age where we swipe, tap and add to cart are we really aware of how much is going out vs. how much is coming in? I am always impressed when I speak with families who are truly nailing it; they get it, they pay off their credit cards and live within their means. Honestly, that is not easy! You have to have a deep rooted respect for money that not only comes from your budgeting foundation years, but onward to keeping up with ever changing financial circumstances. A telltale sign that you are not able to mentally account for all of those plastic purchases is carrying a credit card balance.
Some say that Valentine's day is all about commercialism and consumption, and to a degree I believe that. On the other hand, what if we didn't partake in so much commercialism and did just celebrate love today? I usually like talk to the kids in my son's kindergarten class when I drop him off, and they asked me why his teddy he had said "Love" on it. I said because today is Valentine's day, the day of love! One little girl said "It is?". I told her "of course it is! And when you see your Mom and Dad be sure to tell them that you love them". So to me, today is the day to celebrate loving and being loved, what's wrong with that? Today our family celebrates by saying a few extra "I Love You's".
