With Time So Precious, Do or Buy it Now

You get a medical report with troubling results. A friend gets very ill or dies or has a life-changing accident. You hear that someone close to you has been blindsided and is getting a divorce. You learn that a neighbor made a major financial mistake and will need to move and change their lifestyle fast. These are all wake-up calls. 

Life does not go in a straight trajectory; it can meander and change in a nanosecond, as Joan Didion wrote in her book, The Year of Magical Thinking, after her husband’s sudden death. 

It happens all the time, and sometimes it is not within our control. Yet sometimes it is. How we react and what we do are things we can decide. We may choose to become paralyzed by grief or sadness; we may remain in a rut or get depressed; we may research possibilities and then decide how we want to deal with our own situation or try to help someone. The key is realizing that time marches on, and if we don’t have plan B or C on our radar, it might be wise to develop one. Do you want that expensive purse or pair of shoes? Go for it now before the prices escalate or someone else buys them. 

There are no pockets in shrouds, and unlike the Egyptian pharaohs, you can’t take it with you. Spend some of your funds now, enjoy life to the fullest, but, of course, remember to save enough for that rainy day and to think of others, including your children and grandchildren, if that’s part of your plan.  

Health. Stop worrying; it’s a useless emotion, as one smart psychologist told us. Better to investigate when anything goes wrong and find the best doctor, preferably affiliated with a teaching hospital, and a specialist if you need additional expertise. But even more important is staying on top of all your checkups, whether quarterly tooth cleanings, annual dental visits, colonoscopies for both sexes until you reach the magic number when you don’t need it, eye exams, freckle checks, mammograms, prostate for men, gyn for women, annual well visits and hearing tests. And bring a friend or partner to listen to a doctor’s summary, whether in an office or on a tele-visit, so your emotions don’t cloud your hearing. Speaking of hearing, if you’re like us and missing half of conversations, or even all, it’s time to get hearing aids and pay for them. We’re lucky now to have the technology. And if you don’t click with a doctor, switch to another if available. The same goes for other professionals we pay and entrust with important matters.  

Home. It’s where the heart is, so make it alive, vibrant and comfortable. Fix it up so you’ll enjoy it more, whether that means a new comfy chair or two, outdoor furniture, blinds or shades to keep out light at night and screen sunlight during the day, a remodeled bathroom or kitchen, new knives, kitchen utensils or pots and pans, a fancy coffee maker that grinds beans and makes a latte or espresso to your liking or more channels you must pay for for your TV watching pleasure. You may not have decades to enjoy your setting, so why not now? Of course, factor in whether it’s in your budget.    

Learning. Spend your time and money on this; it delivers lasting value. Learning is a lifelong endeavor, whether in a classroom or on Zoom, doing a volunteer project, attending a lecture or concert, taking a walking tour of a new area or garden or spending time at the library or at home just reading. 

Use time savers and devices that may save your life. Some apps and devices simplify daily tasks. Consider an Apple Watch, Alexa, a robot vacuum cleaner, Google Calendar and more. Or mealtime planning, smart home devices or navigation and transportation ones, for example. Anything to give you more time for what you most enjoy, though we know some who love to clean. 

Travel. More of our peers are traveling like crazy, ticking off the places on their bucket list or simply circumnavigating the globe because they can. But you don’t have to break the bank if the bills are going to depress you on your return. Traveling now can also include lovely places nearby with an overnight stay or two. Short trips can still offer good tours, relaxation, a change of pace, new food, smells and experiences and will cost less without long waits at the airport or congested highways. Go with a partner, children and grandchildren or a group of friends. Here, too, you might embark on a group trip with good lectures to make it more stimulating.  

Luxury. Someone asked one of us how we could get to our advanced age without owning a Chanel bag. Both of us would answer, “easy, we’re not into designer, expensive ‘stuff’, though we can appreciate a darling European convertible car, a fancy watch with sparkly diamonds all around or big diamond stud earrings that are hard to miss on someone else’s wrist or ears." We’re not against buying such treats, but if any such purchases appeal, go for it. Do it now and wear or drive it every single day. Don’t keep it locked up in a safe or parked in a garage. It may add great joy to your life as it does for Lauren Sanchez Bezos, who is very happy in indulging herself, according to a recent profile in The New York Times (April 12, 2026). She also does volunteer work, so who are we to criticize?   

Clothing. Some of us automatically head to a store for retail therapy when we need consoling. A new lipstick, a pair of shoes and a new headband. All may give us temporary or lasting pleasure, so we say, again, why not! And if you’ve been eyeing a certain blouse with a big price tag multiple times, we echo that sentiment. You’ll probably love it forever, so do it now. Better to indulge if the budget permits than to angst over whether you should or shouldn’t. In the time you debated, you could have stepped out in your new top, had fun, and received compliments. 

Family. Give with a warm hand, which means that you do so now and get to see friends or family enjoy the monetary gifts you have bestowed, whether a vacation, artwork, furniture, jewelry or clothing. Dollars or a check tucked into a card for a birthday or anniversary or given for no reason at all, but you recognize your child is stressed and having a hard time paying for an occasional splurged meal out, is a great reason to do it now and share. We say, spread the wealth. A smile on a recipient’s face or a huge thank-you hug is worth more than a million dollars in our bank account, if we’re lucky enough to have accumulated that much.   

Charity. Want to make a big donation to a favorite cause or even a small one that fits your budget? Often, you can set aside a certain amount and pay it over time, even five or 10 years, or bequeath an amount to an institution as a bequest. The money will live on, so can artworks and furniture donated to a museum or college. The highest level of giving is doing so anonymously, according to the eight levels of giving on Rambam’s or Maimonides’ Ladder of Charity. Name or no name, a legacy gift is a gift that keeps on giving.  

Volunteer. Stop talking about how lucky you’ve been or feeling sorry for yourself by moaning and groaning and get out and do something for others. Not with a check only, but with your time and smarts before you’re too old and immobile or incapacitated. Volunteer by teaching your love of golf, needlepoint, bridge, cooking, reading, finance, painting, humor. Everyone has a skill and passion to share whether you’re helping others our age or someone much younger. You’ll be giving of your heart as well. 

Time. There’s no endless amount, but what we should do now, rather than wait, is make the most of it. Don’t waste a day bemoaning what you can’t change, don’t waste energy on obsessing over what might be or what you said or did. Enjoy every day, express gratitude, be kind to others, follow the meditation mantra of “May I be happy, may I be well, may I be peaceful, may I be free from suffering” and wish the same for others, even those you don’t love or even like. That’s worthy of saying each morning or when you find time. Finally, live intentionally and joyfully and the best may be yet to come.