Does it feel like your hard earned cash disappears way too fast, leaving your bank account almost empty until the next salary? There is a cure for this, but you need to start to live a life far below your means. Take it to the next level and let saving be a game. Being autistic can actually be an advantage when it comes to the economy because we often like routines and sticking to a plan. So if you can create good habits or saving you are putting yourself in a good position for the time ahead of us.
In today’s society, it is all about instant gratification and showing how well off we are both on social media and in our everyday interaction with people. The way we view life around us is of course different from person to person, regardless if we are autistic or not, but if i look at myself i can look at society with a healthy distance and see what is important, there is no need to “compete” with others. The faster you step out of that behavior and start saving for yourself, you have taken an important step towards real wealth.
The truth is that most people around us couldn’t care less about whether we live a flashy lifestyle or not. You can earn a lot but if you put yourself in a situation where your spending habits make it impossible to create a rich future and build a good foundation for yourself and those that you care about, things need to change. I challenge you to look over what a rock bottom budget for each month is and take it from there. If you do this properly, you will probably realize that there is a lot of money to be saved. When you cut back on almost everything, indulging in cheap pleasures will give you great satisfaction.
There is simply no other way around it. If you fall into the trap of spending more just because you earn more, then you are not taking full advantage of that situation. If you are a high income earner you are in the best spot to make your future fantastic. Sometimes we just need to sacrifice something today to get something better tomorrow. If you have a very small income, you can still take important steps against creating wealth as long as you have something left of your salary after cutting back on all expenses. Even saving a small amount each month can make a big difference in the long run.
Implementing some smart investing helps you to create your own money tree. We all have different goals, regardless a buffer to fall back on if the shit hits the fan is never a bad thing. Let saving be fun, enjoy the ride and be prepared to put in time. Be persistent and I can promise you that in the end it will lead to a great result. You can make small adjustments and save a little something and of course that is totally fine. If you want to have big results, then you need to make big changes. Do you really need 2 new expensive cars, do you even need a car? Bring your own food, eating out is not a necessity. If you want to eat out, choose a cheap but good option. When you do it, let it be something special and not an everyday thing that you take for granted. Designer clothes, expensive rent in an area that you hardly can afford, party with expensive drinks and the list goes on.
I understand if certain parts of your life is important and some of them cost money. In the long run, we need habits that makes us feel good and some things we actually need, but be honest to yourself. Before you fork out the money for your next purchase, are you just as happy without it, or is it worth spending some cash? If you do the things as everybody else, you will receive the same result. When it comes to myself, I prefer to make my own path than walk in other people’s footprints. I have chosen a simple, but rewarding life and by living frugal and minimalistic I have done the best of the small income that I have had. I have been able to save up a quite good buffer despite never having a well paid job and being severely sick for long periods of time.
I can honestly say that I don’t mind living this way, I enjoy my life and I don’t mind making some sacrifices, It actually makes me happy. Making small things count, gives them more value. The key is to carve out a simple existence that you appreciate. If you make changes that you hate, it will be difficult. On the other hand, everything in life should not be easy, we need to challenge ourselves to grow. In the process, sometimes it gives us a new outlook on life and discovers a reality that was exactly what we needed.
Economics and Autism is an interesting topic because being autistic can put us in a slightly different financial situation. The first thing we should do is to identify if there are things we could do that can make being Autistic a benefit. Some of us have, for example, special focus, interests, and knowledge that put us in a good position to get a well paid job. Others have big obstacles looking forward, but might still be able to carve out a good financial path in front of them. Having Autism can sometimes make us more vulnerable in different ways and that makes having a plan for our economy even more important.
Daniel Antonsson is a 43 year old Autistic man living in Sweden with his Venezuelan girlfriend and four year old daughter. He has always enjoyed writing about different subjects and being able to publish for the Art of Autism make him feel truly blessed.
