Peace of mind payments

As all of us so-called grown-ups face down Tax Season, I’m reminded of one subject I feel passionately about: There is no better money spent than on your own peace of mind. And yes, I mean peace not piece. I give you those bi-weekly (for free no less!), but the other kind is worth its weight in gold.

How can you buy peace of mind, you ask? By having the strength to know when it is better that you don’t do something yourself and instead find a professional you trust who is an expert in whatever you need.

This can apply to so many things, but most frequently comes up for me around money. When I was working a corporate job and only receiving one W-2 each year, my taxes were simple, and I felt a tax program could suffice. Indeed, it did for many years. But as I suddenly found myself with a pile of paperwork come my first tax season after starting my business, let’s just say I was very suddenly out of my depth and more than nervous—I was scared.

I was scared of the Oogie Boogie that is “the tax man.” Despite being a law-abiding citizen who paid her taxes every year, I still find one of my bigger fears is somehow filing my taxes wrong. I needed a solution that could take away this fear.

I’m not scared of my finances; in fact, I’m a lover of my budgeting software, You Need a Budget or YNAB, and take an active interest in new and exciting investment opportunities (not that I’ve jumped on one yet, but that’s a different story). So why was I so scared here? Well, there are so many moving pieces. You need to account for all of your income (I went from one stream to many; my eyes were crossing!), student loans, savings, and, suddenly, I had the all-important deductions that I needed to think more deeply about. Something that had less importance had moved way up my list of priorities.

There was only one thing for it: I needed to hire someone.

Routinely, I feel that this is the best money I spend each year. I recognize I’m very privileged to have the ability to do this, but I also purposefully don’t do other things and make sure it is in my budget every year. I prioritize it. Because in the end, I’m not buying services, I’m buying peace. I’m buying the fact that I sit down, fill out a few forms, send a few files, and live with the peace of mind that someone more qualified is handling everything for me. There are few better feelings in the world.

I call these peace-of-mind payments, and mine is a really common example, but there are so many types of them. In fact, for some, my services fall into this category. You know you have to market your business, and you’d rather know you have an expert who is keeping watch and actively looking out for you than having to figure it out on your own.

I’d argue my friends Chassie, who is a brilliant web designer, and Theresa, a copywriter extraordinaire, also fall under this category. They know they can put together an amazing website for you, without the hours of agonizing over blank pages and the backend of Wordpress.

So today, I invite you to think about, what are those things that when taken off your plate by experts makes you sleep better at night? How can you prioritize your ability to do that?

Lesson Learned: Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and finding people who fill the gaps, isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. So many of us are told we should handle something on our own, but letting go of the “should” brings you freedom. That is my priority.