We spend money on things that bring us health and wholeness, like medicine and music and produce. We also spend money on things that not only drain our resources away from other things but also are flat-out not good for our long-term health and happiness.
What do you spend money on that you suspect would be better spent elsewhere?
You’ll never manage to save enough for a house or a car by saving up your coins in a piggy bank. But sometimes a lot of little bits can add up to quite a lot.
What have you been glad that you saved up for?
“Money is like love; it kills slowly and painfully the one who withholds it, and enlivens the other who turns it on his fellow man.”
―Kahlil Gibran
How do you employ money as love?
The game of Monopoly invites players to spend hours scheming how to control all the properties on the board, so as to be able to siphon everyone’s money into the hands of the one most successful player. It seems like an odd goal to encourage in our children.
How would you describe “winning” in a game that reflected your financial values?
There is a movement these days toward de-cluttering, or downsizing possessions enough to move into a tiny, ultra-efficient house. The movement toward having less can be a beautiful thing, but it stands alongside the fact that there are billions in the world who do not have enough for basic health, let alone wholeness and human development.
How would you define having enough?
