Why I almost didn’t go to Las Vegas (and what it taught me about money)
There I was, sitting on my couch, frozen and staring at my computer.
It was summer 2023. Southwest Airlines was having its annual birthday airfare sale, and I was trying to book a trip to Las Vegas for my upcoming birthday. I had everything filled out, right down to my credit card number in the payment box. All I needed to do was hit confirm.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and clicked.
When I opened my eyes, a “timed out” message stared back at me. I let out a massive sigh of relief: Phew. I desperately needed a vacation—2022 was an absolute doozy (a story for another day), and 2023 wasn’t looking much better. But the truth was, I needed a mindset shift even more. Heck, I needed that shift just to feel like I was allowed to enjoy a vacation.
Growing up, I was taught the standard rules: pay the bills, buy what you need, get a few inexpensive things you want, but never overdo it. Being irresponsible with money is dangerous because life always happens.
And guess what? Life happened. Five days after my birthday, an unexpected expense hit me for $750.
Thank goodness I didn’t go to Vegas… right? Right?!
Wrong.
Life happens. In fact, life will always happen. But we still deserve to enjoy our lives along the way. That unexpected $750 expense would have come up whether I was in Vegas or sitting on my couch.
The goal isn't to hide from life until you have zero risk. The goal is to build a system so you are prepared when life happens. That’s what an emergency fund is for.
Most experts suggest saving three to six months' salary—or even a year's worth. If you're looking at that number and panicking, take a deep breath. You don't start there. You start small: aim for $500 to $1,000, and build your architecture from there. Every little bit counts.
Looking back at 2023, I did have an emergency savings account. Going to Vegas wouldn’t have wiped me out; I could have comfortably handled both. The barrier wasn’t my bank account—it was my mindset. Even though I could afford it, my scarcity mindset told me I couldn't.
Changing decades of "safe," fear-based spending isn't easy. I'm still working on it myself. But you know what I did before writing this email?
I booked a hotel in Vegas. Will life happen again? Absolutely. In fact, I’m counting on it. But this time, I’m going to enjoy my vacation and keep building my financial system for the unexpected.
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