Personal Finance

I Can Afford It, But Is It Actually Worth It?

Before having children, the only person that was affected by my financial decisions was me. I just had to think about what I wanted to buy, where I wanted to go, or how I wanted to enjoy the money I had earned.That all changed after I became a mum.Now, every decision affects five people.I also started thinking much further ahead. It's no longer just about what we need today, but about the kind of life I wanted to create for my children.One family trip really brought this home for me. My children didn't talk much about the things we could buy or even the expensive attractions we visited. They were more excited about what they had seen, what they had done, and what they had learnt from experiencing a different culture.It made me realise that they probably won't remember everything we bought for them, or how much we spent on a particular trip. But they will remember the experiences we shared and the things they discovered along the way.Since then, I've become more intentional about what we spend on. We still buy things, of course, but I’m more drawn to spending on education, travel, and meaningful family experiences over simply buying more things. I hope my children grow up understanding that money is a tool to build a meaningful life, and not a measure of success.Interestingly, I’ve started thinking about my work in much the same way. When I first started out as a content creator, it was tempting to say yes to every opportunity that came my way, especially when the fee was attractive. But over time, I realised that a higher fee doesn't automatically make a collaboration more worthwhile. There have been opportunities that did not align with my values or were not relevant to my audience. I chose to turn them down, even though it meant walking away from money I could have earned.Interestingly, some collaborations that paid less eventually developed into long-term relationships, while some higher-paying opportunities turned out to be one-off projects.My job has also taught me to be more careful about the ups and downs of income because some months can be incredibly busy, while others are much quieter. I've learnt not to treat a good month as something that will continue indefinitely, and to plan my finances accordingly. Ultimately, being a mum and a content creator have both taught me to look beyond the numbers.For my family, I no longer ask whether we can afford something, but whether it genuinely adds value to our lives. At work, I've learnt to look beyond the fee and think about whether a collaboration aligns with my values and could lead to something more meaningful in the long run.I suppose the question is no longer, “Can I afford it?”It's also, “Is it worth it?”This article is part of TSS Confessions, a weekly column where we delve into personal finance topics that are unscripted and real accounts from people.Erica Zhao is a content creator who shares her experiences on lifestyle and family. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok here.