(Keep the border in place)
Dear Dave,
I have a money market account that I use as my checking and savings account. I have a debit card and I’m looking into overdraft privileges, and I’m getting a better interest rate on my money. Is what I’m doing a good idea, or is it better for some reason to have separate saving and checking accounts?
Bonnie
Dear Bonnie,
It’s always good to have a physical and emotional boundary between your savings and everyday funds in your checking account. This is especially important when you are talking about a savings or emergency fund.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with getting a better interest rate, but when everything is put together it can be easy for the line between saving and checking to blur. And if you’re not careful, you may find yourself dipping into your savings or emergency fund for non-emergencies without realizing what you’re doing.
— Dave
(Not Dissenting Opinions)
Dear Dave,
My husband and I have been blessed financially in our work and in our lives. We just like to work, money aside, although we could both retire easily and be very comfortable. These feelings have made me think a lot lately about what is really important in life. How do you balance ambition and satisfaction?
Barb
Dear Barb,
I get the feeling you thought ambition was the opposite of contentment. But I don’t look at it that way. It’s not like a teeter-totter. They don’t have to balance each other out, because they are not on the same spectrum.
I am satisfied and I wish. I am satisfied with what we have and what God has entrusted to us. But it is not enough to sit idle just because we are blessed. Such an attitude is not satisfaction. Carelessness. I do what I do because I like to help people. You can have peace and contentment, and be ambitious. They are not incompatible concepts.
In my mind, problems are created when ambitious people are driven by a lack of satisfaction. Let me ask you something. Do you think Jesus was satisfied? Do you think he was ambitious? I believe the answer to both questions is yes. Just think about the way He lived, and how He commanded us to live. Think about His work and His purpose.
Most of all, I think it has to do with what drives your desire. If the desire for “things” is the driving factor, then perhaps they are on the same spectrum. But that’s a really bad way to live your life. You can buy and accumulate tons of stuff, but you won’t be truly happy until you find satisfaction.
— Dave
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