THE DREAM TEAM
Though my paternal grandfather made only $100 a month as an attorney during the 1930s and 1940s (which would equate to about $1,200 a month now), he saved enough money to buy a small ranch in the Sacramento Valley of California. Focusing on a specific vision of what he and his family had agreed they wanted made puffing money aside every month more meaningful and a lot easier.
To make your family’s dreams (and the benefits you’ll reap from them down the line) as tangible as possible, you might want to start a dream scrapbook—or even several. If you and your loved ones dream of owning a vacation home, then have every member of your family rip out magazine photographs of great homes and paste them into your scrapbook. Add vacation photographs and decorating ideas. Jot down any and all notions about how the place would look or feel, or why it’s important to you in the first place. In short, use your dream scrapbook as a repository for anything that will remind you of the goals toward which you’re striving. Should you and/or your partner feel yourselves weakening, actually seeing an image of your goals can help to strengthen your resolve.
Creating, expanding, or simply revisiting your scrapbook should inspire and encourage you and your family to discuss your financial situation as it relates to your dreams, and to reaffirm both your intentions and your commitment. So start gluing and gabbing!