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Slow Down Everyone, You’re Moving Too Fast

Last Updated: BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 53 Comments

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About four years ago I would be what you would consider Jack Johnson’s biggest fan. lol! No seriously.

I’ve seen him…oh about ten times live (both paid and free shows), and used to be on his old website’s forum daily. I even made a few “real life” friends through the forum.

My obsession has since decreased (although I still really like him), but all of his CD’s still sit in my car, which I pop in whenever I need a little anti-road rage music.

And whenever I feel myself running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I always sing this line from Brushfire Fairytales…“slow down everyone, you’re moving too fast…”

There are so many reasons to “slow down,” because one way “moving too fast” really affects me are financially.

In just this last week, there are three different times that moving too fast has cost me money.

1. Parking fees. I was going to a yoga class last Wednesday and was trying to squeeze a million things in before I had to leave. If I would have left earlier, I could have driven around an extra five minutes or so to find free parking. Instead I parked at a meter.

2. Gas. Being in a rush once again and not planning ahead of time, I wasn’t able to make it to the cheaper gas station, so I had to go to the more expensive one near my house, just in case I ran out of gas. And if you’ve been to California in the last month or so, you know how expensive things got around here.

3. Convenience food. On several different occasions I was too busy and distracted to take the time to know what I already had in my kitchen and pantry, so I made stops for more food that I didn’t need that was quick and easy when I got home. If I would take a little extra time, I would know what was in my kitchen and come up with a meal from there.

There are millions of other ways that being in a rush can affect your finances negatively.

1. Being late for something, so you drive too fast and get a speeding ticket.

2. Having to pay late fees because you got distracted and didn’t pay some bills on time.

3. And as odd as this may sound, being in frenzied mode means you’re more at risk for injuring yourself. I’m notorious for bumping into walls when I’m in a rush, and knocking over and breaking dishes.

4. Not taking the time to comparison shop, so you might be buying a more expensive version of an item.

5. Not making your lunch or coffee because you’re too rushed in the morning, so you end up buying them instead.

I know life is hectic, believe me, but I think there are things we can do in those moments of frenzy to re-center ourselves and not just rush, rush, rush.

1. Can it wait? I often find myself squeezing one last thing/email/phone call in before I need to leave to go somewhere. But more often than not, I can do it when I get back. Resisting that urge in the moment can save me a lot of time and money in the long run.

2. Breathe. So simple and obvious, yet how often do you just take a few moments to take a few breaths to gather yourself?

3. Stay organized. I could save myself a lot of time if I took a few moments the night before to put my keys where I know I can find them, or my bills that need to be mailed by the door. Or if you work in an office to pack your lunch the night before.

4. Staying present with where you are at in the moment. Have you ever read blogs (it might be this one) where you start to pass over whole paragraphs and maybe just get to the end part? (Guilty!) I think that’s just become a norm in our society because we are so busy all the time. Make a habit of trying to slow down and absorb what you are trying to read. If not you might miss some important details.

5. Alleviate distractions, especially while driving. Raise your hand if you’ve ever checked your email at a stoplight, or even sent a text? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know how potentially dangerous this could be. It’s not worth even a minor repercussion like hitting the back of someone’s car to do this. Or getting a ticket.

6. Find a mantra that works for you to slow yourself down when you need it. You can even borrow mine! 🙂

This is a post from the lovely Tonya. T.L. is a freelance video editor and blogger living in Los Angeles. She enjoys movies, running and playing beach volleyball. You can follow her personal finance journey on her blog at Budget & the Beach, and follow her on twitter at @beachbudget.

Do you ever find yourself in a rush each day?

How do you slow down and center yourself? 

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About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Greg@ClubThrifty says

    Moving too fast may hurt your finances, but it also hurts your life, I think. I'm constantly having to remind myself to slow down and enjoy things. My kids are growing up right before my eyes. Years go by and I wonder where all the time went. I just want it all to slow down. You're probably too young to remember Ferris Bueler's Day Off, but there is a line in the movie that goes, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you might miss it." So true.
    My recent post Options for Your Structured Settlement Annuity

    Reply

  2. Leslie says

    Please mention the “guest post” disclaimer at the beginning of the article! I feel it is very deceitful to your readers. This one even says “Posted by Michelle” in the by-line, so I read the entire article thinking it is Michelle’s voice and opinion, just to find out it’s not at all. Please stop doing this.

    Reply

  3. eemusings says

    So true! Rushing causes you to forget things and make mistakes, often financial ones.

    Honestly, I like to live a pretty quiet life. When things get hectic and my schedule fills up, that's when things like grocery shopping and cooking fall to the wayside… and eating out gets costly.
    My recent post How I’m saving money this Christmas

    Reply

  5. plantingourpennies says

    Love that song from Jack Johnson! If I'm trying to rush or feeling too frenzied at work, I usually go outside for a 15 minute walk along a nice path nearby. The 15 minutes I take to do that and get my head on straight always pays dividends by me not making errors that I have to correct after I'm back at my desk!

    Reply

  7. John S @ Frugal Rules says

    Nice post TL! I completely agree that rushing can end up in costing you in many ways. It can be difficult to avoid, but we try to get around it by having a time dedicated to playing with our children each day so we can slow down & not get too frantic.

    Reply

  9. @Lbeemoneytree says

    Oh god your parking one is me to a T. I park in metered parking, and then get a ticket bc I'm running around and forget to feed the meter again. I've spent over 150.00 in parking tickets since I Moved to Atlanta-boo! Great advice 🙂

    Reply

    • Budget & the Beach says

      I'm much better now, but I was the queen of parking tickets because we have street sweeping here, and I was careless about reading the signs about which days they were, so I'd always get parking tickets. I haven't gotten one since Feb though. I feel like like someone owes me a chip or something. 🙂
      My recent post Changing Course/$20 Amazon.com Giveaway!

      Reply

  13. Brian says

    My little guy has made me slow down a ton, just because I keep getting caught up in watching him discover the world around him. Its amazing to see what facinates him at any given moment.

    Reply

  14. therandompath says

    So true Tonya! I sometimes feel rushed and busy with things, but I always have to stop and take a breath and just be in the moment. I notice time flying by way too fast especially when it comes to my daughter. She's growing up and I wish I could make time go by a bit slower, so these sweet moments last a but longer.
    My recent post Gratitude

    Reply

  15. Cat says

    I try to tell myself just to breathe! Or use the expression "better late then dead" – that's when I'm tempted to drive somewhere too fast!
    My recent post If you can’t make it on 40,000 a year – is it your fault?

    Reply

  16. Veronica Hill says

    In California you can pay up to $400 for jaywalking. Talk about paying a hefty fine for moving too fast! I can think of so many reasons I'd rather spend that $400 on.
    My recent post The Daunting Reality of Financial Woes

    Reply

  17. MoneySmartGuides says

    I always hate when I am rushing around on the weekends and end up having to get food out. The majority of it is unhealthy and I would rather spend my eating out budget money on having a nice dinner with friends or my girlfriend. I have to stop before running out the door and make myself pack some snacks just in case I'm out longer than I planned.
    My recent post Are You Pretending To Be Rich?

    Reply

  19. TB BlueCollarWorkman says

    Your sorta hit on it — what happens too is that you get so busy in your head which makes things get a little foggy up there which leads direclty to mistakes. Money mistkaes, peopel mistakes, appointment mistakes…it's no good. We definitely miss things and that can cost us.

    Reply

  20. MoneyMasterMom says

    People need to slow down, or get more organized so they can save some cash on convenience food. It's bad for the bank account, and most of it is bad for your health. Nice Post Tonya!
    My recent post The Value of a Dill Pickle, and other lessons from Ghana

    Reply

  22. Frugalista Married says

    Great post! It's so true. I remember one time driving to Souplantation for dinner. I was sooo hungry that I rushed and got a red light ticket. Ouch. That was a $400 dinner right there. So often I tell myself, just slow down, take your time relax and put the cell phone down. When you rush you make mistakes and it can end up costing you money or even more time in the end.
    My recent post Gone Bananas

    Reply

  24. Helene says

    this is so incredibly true. My husband and I literally saved for our house not making dumb purchases… and we took a trip to europe. and we collectively we make about $80,000. it can be done!

    Reply

  25. Athena says

    I couldn't have read this post at a better time. Right now, my brain is fuzzy because I've had so many changes this year, it's hard to relax and focus. I think I've had way too much change, especially with a six year relationship ending like it did. My brain is trying to hang on to something and it's having a hard time and all I can do is worry about what I'm going to do next next next. I need to focus more on what I am going to do now and what I am going to do today that is going to make my life so much more better. Thank you.
    My recent post Tunes Tuesday

    Reply

  27. Brian says

    A lot of businesses price things exactly the way they do because people will always okay more if they’re late. Paying for convenience is a huge thing, and you can save a lot of time if you plan ahead.

    Reply

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