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Some of the dictionary definitions of normal are “conforming to the standard or the common type”, “usual” and “the average or mean”.

Another way of putting it is that normal is just whatever most people happen to be doing. (Lemmings are normal too, but that doesn’t mean that they always do smart things.) In fact “smart” isn’t a part of the definition of normal at all.

So what’s the point of all this?

Sometimes it’s a good idea to change your definition of normal. Instead of striving to be like most people, strive to be like people who are doing things that make both long and short-term financial sense. Do you want to be a typical consumer, or do you want to build a positive future that allows you to do the things you enjoy without stress and worry?

This is often easiest to do if you change your peer group. Hang out with money-smart, frugal people (either virtually via blogs and message boards or in person.) Read books on investing, frugality, and planning for your future. Pretty soon thinking in a financially beneficial way will become normal for you.

You probably won’t even notice that it’s become normal, until one day you hear a conversation that puzzles you. In my case, someone told us a story about a couple who had a very nice, remodeled and up-to-date home filled with beautiful, high-quality furnishings. “And they didn’t borrow money to do it!” was the final, triumphant comment on the subject.

“Why is that a big deal?” I wondered.

It took me a while to remember that most people DO borrow money to remodel and furnish their home. I’d gotten so used to living with scratched up couches and empty or half-finished rooms that it had become normal for us to wait until we had the money to do things to the house. And we enjoy the things that ARE already fixed up that much more, because we didn’t have to pay extra for them, stress about them, or feel guilty afterwards.

Normal is just what you become used to. Why not become used to the kinds of things that are going to benefit you instead of the things that don’t?

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