There seems to be a pious theme among Personal Finance bloggers these days. I do not always practice what I preach as a personal finance kibitzer. Remember, if not buying a coffee a few days a week somehow resolves your financial issues, you are unique.
Let me clarify that statement in that I have often written about Tim Horton’s Savings Plan, yet I do buy coffee (and tea) at Tim Horton’s myself (I can hear the gasps of horror). Every once in a while, I like Tim’s, and their steeped tea is quite good. I am OK with that (usually one every day), but I have no big issue. I don’t even think of this as a guilty pleasure. Feel free to criticize my ability to speak out of both sides of my mouth.
I also don’t take the bus to work, as I should (although I did when I was going downtown for my French class), but the equation has changed a little now that I carpool. My carpool mate is paying for parking, and I am paying for the car, but at the end of it all, it would be cheaper to take the bus, but it is just too bloody inconvenient (currently). In Ottawa, if you are going downtown, the bus is the way to go. OC Transpo is not geared to improve your life if you aren’t.
After watching the ESPN 30 for 30 Movie on Broke professional athletes, I must admit that most of my readers have a long way to go to the lengths some athletes took to blow money. Some examples: “Making it rain 100 dollar bills in a strip club” or “drinking DOM and coming home with a $20000 bar tab for one night”. Spending $2 on some coffee does seem to be insignificant. However, it does all add up.
So, yes, I should know better. However, sometimes I don’t listen to my advice. Luckily I can fall back on one of my favourite parenting statements:
Do as I say, not as I do!
Let me leave you with a useful biblical (if somewhat sexist) quote to end this thought:
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone
John 8:7
Drop the tim horton’s habit and start getting your coffee at McDonalds. The coffee is better AND cheaper (it’s not the nasty brew they served years ago, it’s excellent stuff now). So how’s that for a financial tip :).
I left horton’s coffee years ago due to the unbelievably poor service at our local shop – bad enough for me to say “I ain’t going there ever again”. Headed across the street to RonDon’s, never looked back.
We save to live, we don’t live to save.