Last month, we talked about the importance of living an intentional life. When you live an intentional life, a.k.a. living your life with (and on) purpose in all things you do for the betterment of your life—is life changing. With this being said, this perfectly transitions into this months’ word of the month.

February’s word of the month is: investment.

There are a variety of definitions that are associated with this term that might make you squirm thinking back to ECON101 or looking into how your  portfolio is doing, but we are going to break it down to its purest, most human form. 

Investment can be defined as “an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.” 

I’ve always heard the saying, “Buy it nice or buy it twice” and didn’t really grasp that concept until I became a true adult (I know—what does that even mean anymore?!) I think we all get caught up in getting things that are always most budget friendly, for completely valid reasons, but we sometimes lose sight and meaning of things or experiences that are not only financial investments, but investments in ourselves. 

Personally, I think there is something really special in finding a specific thing you want to get yourself or experience, putting some money aside to it for a few months, and then treating yourself to it when the time is right for you. 

But in the past, I would’ve been like, “Okay, I need new sandals for the summertime,” and would just buy whatever sandals were cheapest (i.e. the Old Navy flip-flops, if you know, you know), but then had to rebuy new sandals each summer because they were cheaply made (and I wore them out). Instead of buying 5 pairs of cheap sandals for $50, I could’ve bought a pair of go-to, match everything and anything, comfy Rainbow sandals that I kept for years to come (I’ve had the same pair for 5+ years). At first, it seems that a $50 pair of sandals seems expensive (and it definitely is), but it is better to purchase one nice quality pair, than a few crappy pairs that will ruin after one season.

And listen, we are pro finding the best possible deal on whatever quality product we can find; but sometimes it is best to wait on whatever it is you’re wanting and save up for the quality product that will not only serve you better in time, but it is the one that brings you the most joy while you’re wearing (or experiencing) it! It is almost always worth the wait and worth the money in the long haul.

However, this mentality goes further than just buying fun things you want. It applies to what groceries you get, the mattress you sleep on at night, exercising, and the pair of shoes you wear to work everyday. You deserve to feed yourself quality and healthy food that provides you utmost nutrition to your body. You deserve to sleep on a comfortable mattress. You deserve to move your body so you remain mobile. You deserve to spend the little extra on the shoes that won’t break your back standing all day at work. 

You deserve a good, healthy life. 

Everything is outrageously priced nowadays and a lot of this is easier said than done at times, but truly, in the long run—you’ll thank yourself. If you don’t invest in good shoes, you will likely have to pay for some treatment of some type down the road. It’s better to invest in yourself upfront if you’re able to avoid pain later on in life. Again, a perfectly valid reason to invest in yourself.

Investing in yourself, whether it be saving for retirement, saving for a quality pair of jeans, or buying yourself a nice pair of comfortable shoes—you deserve it and it is for the betterment of you.