Exhaustion is financial success’ kryptonite

I am most likely to spend money when I am stressed or exhausted.

For this reason, I hate working.

But seriously, I am naturally very serious and analytical. I see potential hurdles as challenges, not problems. However, building our first house stretched the limits of my patience as we encountered roadblock after roadblock.

As the months rolled by, our costs kept rising, and our general contractor’s incompetence multiplied, I lost the will to focus on reducing expenses on the “little things”. Staying frugal seemed pointless after we discovered we couldn’t build as affordably as we’d planned.

Ironically, tightening our belts is exactly what we should have done.

We eventually finished the house, but we had to live five months without power and six months without potable water. We took solar showers, cooked on a camp stove, and even totaled our car driving through a falling tree before we reached the end.

But when our house was eventually finished, the pressure eased off. Our energy levels rose. We were motivated again—motivated to get the mortgage off our back.

It doesn’t always turn out that way

But for others, the stress can lead to surrendered control which almost always leads to more stress, often resulting in ruined relationships and a financial mess.

The best strategy is to avoid prolonged exposure to stressful situations that might cause you to let things slip. If that’s not possible, at least be aware of how your exhaustion will impact your decisions.

Have you ever been in a stressful situation or exhausted to the point where you don’t care about money?