This Is a Spending Season
Over the last few weeks, our house has looked a little ridiculous.
Mounds of compost and mulch in the driveway.
Stacks of buckets filled with clay.
Half-finished garden beds.
Shovels and wheelbarrows all around the yard.
We’ve been deep into a major landscaping overhaul — and when I say “we,” I really mean we.
No crew.
No shortcuts.
Just Caitlin and me slowly transforming the property ourselves, one exhausting day at a time.
So far we’ve:
removed 19 overgrown shrubs
reshaped and expanded 4 primary garden beds
amended soil
installed soaker hose irrigation
planted 3 trees
added more than 3 dozen shrubs
planted well over 100 perennials
And we’re still not done.
It’s been a tremendous amount of work.
And if I’m being honest…
Quite a bit of money, too.
But throughout the process, I’ve found myself half-jokingly repeating the same phrase over and over:
“This is a spending season.”
Not recklessly.
Not impulsively.
Not in a way that creates stress or regret.
Just… intentionally. (And often!)
The way I'm thinking about it...
Some seasons are for quietly saving money.
And some seasons for deploying it gleefully toward something meaningful.
I think many people accidentally treat financial discipline as if the goal is simply to accumulate forever.
Save more.
Optimize more.
Spend less.
Delay gratification indefinitely.
And to be clear — there absolutely are seasons where restraint matters deeply.
Seasons where:
margin needs to be rebuilt
debt needs to be eliminated
stability needs to be protected
foundations need to be strengthened
Those seasons matter.
A lot.
But eventually, if you do those things well…
Life starts presenting opportunities that deserve a wholehearted yes.
Not because they maximize your net worth spreadsheet.
But because they enrich your actual life.
That’s what this season feels like for us.
We’re not renovating this yard because it’s the mathematically optimal financial move.
We’re doing it because:
we want our kids playing barefoot in the grass
we want pollinators and shade trees and color
we want this home to feel fully ours
we want to build an environment we genuinely love living in
And because of years of intentional financial habits…
We get to say yes to that vision without fear or second-guessing.
That’s the part I keep coming back to.
This is exactly what good financial stewardship is supposed to create.
Not endless deprivation.
Not anxiety disguised as discipline.
Not a life where every meaningful expense feels irresponsible.
The point of financial clarity isn’t to become someone who never spends money.
It’s to become someone capable of spending intentionally — at the right time, on the right things, for the right reasons.
Some seasons are for accumulation.
Some are for recovery.
Some are for growth.
And some are for building the life you’ve been preparing for all along.
I think a lot of people secretly believe they’ll eventually arrive at some magical point where spending money no longer feels emotionally complicated.
I’m not sure that ever fully happens.
But what does happen is this:
You slowly build enough trust in yourself, your habits, and your systems that you can confidently say:
“Yes. This matters to us. And we can afford to do it well.”
That’s a beautiful thing.
In fact, I think it’s the entire point.
So if you’re in a season right now where money is flowing toward something deeply meaningful — a home, your health, your family, your future, your peace — don’t assume that means you’re “falling behind.”
Maybe this is simply the season you’ve been preparing for.
In your corner,
— Andrew
P.S. One of the most rewarding parts of financial coaching is helping people build systems strong enough that they can eventually say “yes” to the things that matter most — confidently, intentionally, and without fear. If that’s the kind of future you want to build, I’d love to help.
Talk with Andrew
If you want help applying these ideas to your own finances or business, we can talk it through.
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