I suspect that a little daydreaming is healthy. Letting the mind meander where it will is probably a good way to let your creative side emerge. But you wouldn't want to let that creative side make important life-changing decisions alone. That would be too dangerous.
And so it is with our finances. It's fine to dream of a new ride and think about how great you'd look behind the controls. In fact, it's probably helpful if your goal is to save money to buy a car. But it would be a bad idea to follow that daydream into the dangerous waters known as an auto showroom. The moment a sales-shark gets a whiff of your daydream you are just a bait fish.
The only way to protect yourself is to think about your finances before you head off for an appointment with Jaws. Hopefully you'll be smart enough to know that you don't swim with sharks and decide to stay out of the water.
And, it's not just the great white shark that's dangerous. We need to focus on the smaller financial items, too. Even a little shark can kill you if it gets enough bites!
Keep on Stretchin' those Dollars!
Gary
This post originally appeared in Financial Independence. FI is a daily message designed to help people take control of their financial lives. To find out more check out the Financial Independence page.
