Give yourself a wonderful holiday gift every year by starting a “Happiness
Fund.” Get a shoebox, coffee can, any kind of container will do, and at the end
of every day, put a dollar in the box. This is an easy, painless way to save
up money for something you really want. (If the box gets too overstuffed
with individual bills, simply replace them from time to time with larger
denominations.)
Make sure you always have dollar bills handy for this project -- ask for them
when you go to the bank, or use larger bills when running errands so that you
get change back, and so forth. At the end of each day, when you place your
dollar bill in your savings box, allow yourself to have a moment of joy when
you think about the special treat you are going to give yourself with this money.
Here are the “rules” for using your Happiness Fund:
1) You are not allowed to spend any of this money for one year.
2) When you do finally spend the money, you must spend it on something
fun and frivolous. You cannot use this money to pay the electric bill or buy
groceries. The whole purpose of this project is to treat yourself to some fun
and do something you normally might not set aside the time or money to do: Buy
a plane ticket and go visit a friend you haven’t seen in years. Treat
yourself to a day at a spa -- get a facial, and a massage, and a new hairstyle. Go
on one of those hot air balloon rides. Spend the money on guitar lessons if
you’ve always wanted to learn to play. Get season tickets to the theater,
baseball, the opera, basketball -- whatever you like. These are just a few
suggestions -- the point is to come up with something you would really love to do.
3) You are not allowed to feel guilty spending this money on fun. This
is your annual gift to yourself, and you are supposed to ENJOY it, so have a
great time!
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