There are always choices when it comes to personal finances. And, they’re always personal. But, what if your decisions are outside the box of what others think or do?

That’s OK. And, actually, it’s perfect.

It should never be about keeping up with the Joneses. Just because they vacation every year in Hawaii doesn’t mean anything more than they choose to spend money on trips to Hawaii. You’re not a failure. The Joneses don’t necessarily make more money than you. Stop the negative mind chatter. It’s just a choice.

My friend Marie made a choice in order to purchase a home. She and her partner considered a couple of ways to save for their first real estate investment, including moving to Asia to save money quickly. Ultimately, they decided to move out of Vancouver to a much more reasonably priced neighborhood in a nearby city, and were able to purchase their home without an international move. While this decision was the perfect one for Marie, it might not be for others.

That’s the point. I believe in a creative, down-to-earth approach when it comes to financial planning. That’s why when we work together, I ask YOU what’s most important to you.

Another friend, Kelly, realized there was an alternative to working until she was 65. Kelly’s outside-the-box path includes retirement in Mexico. And, that’s exactly where she’s headed. She dreamed big and took the steps necessary to purchase a home in Mexico for her retirement. She didn’t let any naysayers divert her from HER goal. Moving to Mexico won’t work for everyone and not everyone would want that, but Kelly changed the rules about what was expected and made a retirement plan that worked for her and respected her terms.

To ensure you take an outside-the-box perspective to your personal finances, you will want to keep these things in mind.

No judgements

Just as you don’t want to be judged for your financial decisions, don’t judge others for theirs. Again, it’s personal. There’s no right or wrong about the unique journeys we take in life. Some people are hyper-focused to get to retirement at an early age and are willing to sacrifice vacations, expensive cars and designer clothes to get there. Others define different goals, and therefore will have a different strategy on how they earn and where they spend. The important lesson: what’s right for one person doesn’t mean it’s right for another.

Be open to the possibilities

Whether you work longer or reduce your expenses, there are options available to you. Perhaps you could retire earlier if you downsize to a condo in a different region of the country (or the world). Or, if you don’t want to cut expenses, you might need to figure out an additional source of income to achieve what you want. That’s why when we work together, we look outside the box to discover all the opportunities.

You might determine that you will not give up your daily Starbucks run, but you are willing to sell your car. Others might not be willing to move out of their expensive neighborhood while another would sell in a heartbeat and downsize to get to their goals. That’s the input I need to help guide you toward your goals. I want you to get the maximum return (and satisfaction) out of every dollar. If you need your venti latte every day, that’s cool. But, maybe you can reduce your expenses in a different way to achieve the future goals you want. 

So, what do you want YOUR money to do for you? To talk about outside-the-box solutions and get creative, maybe we should have a chat.