If you had to describe money in one word, what would it be? | Something that increases your life choices

Money is what creates a "life of choice"

To Dad, money is
something that increases your life choices .

Buying things,
going on trips,
spending money on learning

I believe it is important that
you can choose each of those things for yourself.

But, in the past, Dad
didn't think that way.

Rather,
it was "something that makes you feel anxious even though you are using it."

I spent it aimlessly and felt aimlessly anxious

Back then, Dad
didn't think very deeply about money.

When my salary came in, I would spend it on eating out, drinking parties, and things I wanted.
And when the time came for an emergency, I would just endure it.

I kept repeating that cycle.

I would sign up for insurance just to "feel somewhat secure," or
keep using a major mobile carrier without thinking.

Without even realizing it myself,
I was spending money in all sorts of places.

But strangely, my sense of security didn't increase.

Rather,
the feeling of "will I be okay like this?"
remained somewhere in the back of my mind the whole time.

Money has "5 powers"

That was when I encountered
Ryogakucho's "Money University" from the Liberal Arts University.

What I found in this book was
the concept of the "5 powers related to money."

The power to save, the power to grow, the power to earn, the power to spend, and the power to protect.

I don't think Dad at that time
was consciously using any of these.

I used to spend it aimlessly,
and felt aimlessly anxious.

But after encountering this way of thinking,
my approach to money changed a little.

Small actions increase peace of mind and options

Since then, Dad,
started doing things one by one, starting with small steps.

First, I used Money Forward ME to visualize our household finances.
I started by learning what we were spending our money on.

I also reviewed our insurance and mobile plans.
I switched my phone from a major carrier to Rakuten Mobile.

I also started investing.

I opened a NISA account at SBI Securities,
and I am steadily accumulating global stock index funds every month.

It is not a huge change.

But as my assets gradually built up,
the way I felt about money began to change.

Buying things,
going on trips,
spending money on learning,

The feeling that "I can choose for myself"
gradually increased.

And there was one more big change.

That was,
being able to choose for myself whether to buy or not.

Before, I would hold back because I didn't have the money.

But now,
even if I have the money, I won't buy it if I don't think it truly has value for me.

When you reach a state where you "can buy it anytime,"
conversely,the choice not to buyalso becomes possible.

This was a feeling I had never even considered before learning about money.

The choice to buy.
The choice not to buy.

In both cases, you can choose for yourself.

I believe that sense is something
I gained precisely because I learned about money.

To my children | Money is something that increases your life's options

To you

To Dad, money is
something that increases your life's options.

By having money,

In that way,
you will be able to choose your own life for yourself.

The goal is not to have a lot of money.
It is a tool for living freely.

That is why
I want you not to look away from money matters,
and to learn about it, even if just a little at a time.

And,
I want you to increase your life's options with your own power.

Dad is still in the middle of learning, too.
I intend to keep learning,
and I want to pass that on to you.

Dad believes that your lives will be rich.

That was
'If you had to describe money in one word, what would it be? | Something that increases your life's options'
.

The end.

To you
— HondaYori Papa

* The ideas behind this article and
the ways of approaching investment and money that I learned from books
are summarized on the blog 'Dad's Book Letters'.

👉 Blog 'Dad's Book Letters'

* The article that served as the basis for these thoughts is here
👉'Revised Edition: Achieving True Freedom - Money University' Summary/Impressions | 'Wisdom on Money and Living' [Dad's Book Letters]

*This discussion is part of the theme 'Living with Money'.
By reading it as a connection rather than isolated points,
you will deepen your understanding of money without being swayed by anxiety.

👉 Read articles summarizing how to approach money

👉 View the bookshelf of books for learning about money

*I have also documented the 7 themes that I cherish on my blog.

👉 Read the 'Map of 7 Lessons' that I have learned

(Note: Regarding tips)

I am writing this letter to preserve my current feelings and lessons,
so that my children can look back on them someday.

If you can resonate with these thoughts even a little,
I would be happy if you could quietly support me.