Best Life Tip #1: Exploit Your Rich Friends
No seriously, exploit your rich friends. But in the nicest way possible. Here are a couple of examples to explain what I mean.
My sister has been nanny to a wonderful family for many years, and somewhere along the line, it became tradition for this family to gift her with theater tickets. So at every birthday and Christmas she gets a pair to some fabulous show she’s always wanted to see (or see again).
I sometimes get lucky enough to be her +1, and I’ve got to say, there’s nothing like an afternoon at the theater to lift your spirits and give you the strength to carry your burdens onward. Plus, theater today is perfect for the harried and undergroomed mom–formal attire is no longer required, and available subject matter runs the gamut from cheerleading to mental illness. There’s something for every taste.
Letting your more affluent friends know that you are really interested in the theater, or nice restaurants, or live concerts gives them easy go-to ideas for gifting occasions, and you the opportunity to soak up culture you might otherwise miss. Ask for experiences rather than things; they don’t depreciate in value, and can often be shared.
Obviously there’s a line between expressing your cultural interests and grubbing for gifts. But it never hurts to say out loud, “You know, I’ve always wanted to do [fill in the blank].” As long as there’s a mutual bond of affection between you that lasts all year long, your friends shouldn’t hear this as greed.
My second example has to do with grandparents that really want to do something for your kids, even if they don’t need any more stuff. My kids are lucky enough to spend one night a week with my moms, and during that time they often want to do something special. It can be as simple as a trip to the playground, or as extravagant as a trip to San Diego. But when I let the moms know that I struggled to keep up with the kids’ haircuts, they quietly took it on. Now every six weeks or so, I’m surprised when two gorgeously coiffed boys come home from Grandma Camp.
Two boys’ haircuts are a relatively small outlay for a couple who is otherwise financially stable, but it makes a huge difference to our bottom line. Every “one less thing” makes a difference when you’re working toward financial freedom.
In this same vein, go ahead and say “diapers” when someone asks what your one-year-old wants for her birthday.
When you give freely of your time and affection–those things that cannot be bought–and speak openly about both your dreams and your reality, you’ll find that the people who love you want to help you get closer to living your best life.