4 Things You Should Spend Your Money On In 2024
Four purchases that can change your life in the new year
The New Year, although an abstract and random time to consider a life reflection, works as a good instigator of self-awareness and planning as we start a new twelve month cycle of our lives and the world.
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. It will give you the means for the satisfaction of your desires, but it will not provide you with desires.”― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Here are a few things I’ve considered allowing myself more freedom to spend on in the New Year, and I hope it can inspire your budget planning in a similar way:
#1: A subscription to The New Yorker
I don’t know why I decided to include this year, but I just had to — especially because it was today that I realized The New Yorker has a sale running right now and also gives students and teacher discounts.
While The New Yorker might not be the thing to you, maybe consider getting a similar subscription to something you can read or use that will improve your life.
(TIME Magazine also has a new year sale running you might consider looking into.)
Because I’m a writer, I find it important to read high quality work. The struggle is often sifting out, finding, and making time to read that high quality work.
I’ve struggled to make it a habit, and decided to return again to The New Yorker as a source of collected great works together. I think it’s going to not only encourage me to read more. In addition, I’ll be able to sit back and be proud of all of the editions on my shelf that I’ve read and appreciated as a form of slower media in today’s fast-paced digital world.
#2: Books you’ve always wanted to read
Go to Thriftbooks. Buy them on sale. Spend the $25 at Barnes and Noble. If there’s a book that you think can change your life, go for it.
It’s worth it.
Invest money in yourself, and allow yourself to be positively influenced by the words of people looking to help you. And happy reading. (:
#3: A gym membership
Even if you’re able to go sometimes, even if you can’t make it a habit until March, even if you struggle to be consistent, it’s still worth it if you want to get stronger and more fit.
Every year, I’ve debated getting rid of my membership to a gym that honestly costs way too much. But it’s always in the back of my mind — and I still go enough that I think it’s worth keeping.
This goes for other things too. Even if you don’t use it perfectly, or all the time, it’s worth keeping or getting even if you only get a small benefit from it. If it’s worth it to you, it’s worth it.
If you want to get stronger, healthier, and more in shape in the new year, don’t let the fact that everyone else does it to stop you from doing something that could change your life and body for the better.
#4: Tools that will give you time for what you want to do
I won’t get too specific, because this will look different for everyone. But if there’s a tool that you could subscribe to or purchase that would improve your work flow, give you more time with your family, or allow you to do more of what matters, by all means go for it.
What seems like a high upfront cost will be a good investment in your relationships, your work-life balance, and your quality of life if you spend your money right.
For some, this might be a calendar or scheduling app. For others, this might be a personal assistant or a subscription to an app that will help them read more books.
As the new year rolls around, why not consider allocating your money to more useful purchases? I have a feeling that if you invest now, you’ll be able to see the results viscerally by the end of the new year as a result of how you spent your money.
Best of luck to you, and Happy New Year!
