On November 2nd of last year, I did something I never thought I’d be doing again:

I got braces.

Not Invisalign. Straight up metal mouth, brackets, wires, the whole 9 yards.

My hilarious dentist (who I adore) broke the news that I needed them this past spring. I resisted but he was like:

“Do you like having a giant gap on the side of your smile?”

So, I decided I’d have a summer and Relaxed Money launch braces-free and then return to the full ache of metal in my mouth that I thought I’d said goodbye to forever when I got my braces off when I was 15.

It’s been humbling.

In a city that’s incredibly focused on appearance (Miami) while doing a career where I’m on camera a lot at an age when I finally feel like an adult (most of the time), having braces makes me feel self-conscious.

I’m paranoid that I have stuff in my teeth all the time (if you see me and I do, please say something!)

They make me talk funny.

And the part of me that’s vain knows they make me look weird.

But I know the long-term payoff of the short-term discomfort will totally be worth it, so I’m willing to feel silly for 6-months.

I’m very big on making life feel as good as possible in the now. I don’t buy into the idea that we always have to be making ourselves uncomfortable to get what we want.

However, there are times when choosing to not feel so good for a time so that we can have something that will make us feel even better later is required.

One of these times is when it comes to orthodonture. Short-term metal for a long-term gorgeous smile. Worth it!

Another is when it comes to getting our bodies moving, when we don’t feel like it. Short-term discomfort of overcoming inertia for the benefit of vitality, longevity, more energy, and a million other benefits of physical movement.

Some would say another is when it comes to setting ourselves up for a better financial future…you know, sacrificing now to save for later.

But I have another take on how we can enjoy abundance now and also set ourselves up to be well cared for financially later.

When it comes to setting ourselves up for a future of financial wellbeing, there’s no arguing with the time value of money because of the power of compounding interest in investing.

One perspective is that we should live as frugally as possible now so that we can sock away as much money as possible as early as possible and, as a result, maximize the value of compounding interest over time. The idea here is pure delayed gratification. Live small now so that you can set yourself up for a much more abundant life later.

Another perspective is that all we have is now. The future is never guaranteed, and we want to maximize our lives while we have the vitality and faculties to enjoy it. Folks in this camp don’t give much credence to later. They spend what they’ve got (and sometimes more) to maximize their experience of the present.

I propose a path somewhere in the middle.

Here’s how it can go:

First, you identify what really gives you the deepest satisfaction and joy in your life. When you look back, what are the moments that really stick out to you? What do they have in common? What parts of those experiences, if any, required spending money to make them happen?

Second, take a look at where your money has gone over the last 6-12 months. Is there anything you’ve been spending money on that doesn’t give you a notable ROI in terms of joy and satisfaction, or contributing to something else that’s really important to you?

Third, reduce your spending in the categories you identified in step two. Redirect what you save to investing in something like a stock index fund that allows you to access the power of compounding interest and helps ensure your financial future.

Fourth, give yourself full permission to spend money now on the things that make your life fun living in the current moment. Is it adventures in new places? Delicious lattes at bougie coffee shops with friends? Farm to table dinners with the love of your life that help you feel connected to each other and the Earth? Whatever it is, identify it and spend the money knowing that the compound effect is on the joy and wellbeing that money is creating in your life in the present moment.

I’m not waiting to enjoy my life until my braces are off. I’m smiling big (even if I do it scared that I might have black sesame seeds stuck in the brackets and wires), making out with my husband, and filming back-to-back days of podcast episodes.

But every time my teeth ache or I feel irritated that my seaweed salad has knitted itself deeply in the metal in my mouth, I also remember that I’m investing in my future with some short-term discomfort.

The power of delayed gratification is real. Don’t blow it all in the present and wish you’d set your future self up well.

But we can benefit from all the goodness that delayed gratification offers (compound interest, teeth getting straightened out, and more!) while enjoying our lives along the way, too.

Both/and my friend.

All my love,
Kate