Take a moment and think about this: What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?
Would you travel more? Start that business? Buy a house? Go back to school? Spend more time with family? Move to your dream city?
Now here’s the harder question: What’s stopping you from doing those things right now?
If I had to guess, your answer comes down to money. And here’s what breaks my heart as a financial planner in Houston – you’re putting your real life on hold, waiting for financial “someday” to arrive.
The “When I Have More Money” Trap
“When I have more money, I’ll…”
- Travel to Europe
- Start my own business
- Buy a house
- Take that cooking class
- Help my parents with their bills
- Finally take a real vacation
- Go back to school
- Move to a better neighborhood
Sound familiar? You’re living in financial purgatory – not broke enough to qualify for help, but not free enough to live the life you actually want.
This might be the most heartbreaking financial planning mistake I see: using money as an excuse to delay your dreams.
The Real Cost of Waiting for “Someday”
Here’s what most people don’t realize: the biggest cost of poor financial planning isn’t the money you lose. It’s the life you don’t live.
Every year you wait to take that trip is a year older you are when you finally go. Every month you put off starting that business is another month your idea becomes someone else’s reality.
You can’t get time back, but you can get your money right.
Why People Put Dreams on Financial Hold
Fear-based money management: You’re so focused on financial security that you forget to actually live
All-or-nothing thinking: You believe you need to choose between saving and enjoying life
Lack of financial planning: Without a clear plan, every expense feels risky
Perfectionism: You wait for the “perfect” financial situation that never comes
Analysis paralysis: You overthink every financial decision until the moment passes
The “Living Below Your Means” Lie
Traditional financial advice tells you to cut everything fun out of your budget. Skip the lattes, cancel the subscriptions, never eat out, live like you’re broke.
That advice creates financial resentment. You start to see money management as punishment instead of empowerment.
The people who build real wealth? They don’t just live below their means – they make their means match their dreams.
The Life-First Financial Planning Approach
Here’s how successful people fund their real lives:
Step 1: Define Your Real Life
Not what you think you should want, but what you actually want. Be specific.
Instead of: “Travel more”
Try: “Spend two weeks in Japan next spring for $5,000”
Instead of: “Start a business”
Try: “Launch my consulting practice with $10,000 startup capital”
Step 2: Price Your Dreams
How much does that life actually cost? Most people overestimate dramatically.
- That Japan trip might be $5,000, not $15,000
- Starting a service business might need $10,000, not $50,000
- That master’s degree might cost $30,000, not $100,000
Step 3: Work Backwards
If you need $5,000 in 12 months, that’s $417 per month. Suddenly your dream becomes a line item in your budget.
Real example: A client wanted to take a year off to write a book. We calculated she needed $40,000 to cover expenses. By saving $1,000 monthly for 3.5 years, she made it happen.
Step 4: Make Trade-Offs, Not Sacrifices
Instead of cutting everything, redirect money from things that don’t matter to things that do.
Trade dining out 4x/month for 2x/month = $200 toward dreams
Trade premium cable for streaming = $80 toward dreams
Trade daily coffee shop for home brewing = $120 toward dreams
Total redirected: $400/month toward your real goals.
The Permission You’ve Been Waiting For
You don’t need to be rich to live richly. You need to be intentional.
Your dreams aren’t selfish. They’re not frivolous expenses. They’re the whole point of getting your money right.
Common Dream-Delaying Excuses (And The Truth)
Excuse: “I should focus on retirement first”
Truth: You can do both with proper financial planning
Excuse: “What if I need that money for emergencies?”
Truth: Dream money and emergency money are separate categories
Excuse: “I don’t make enough to save for dreams”
Truth: You don’t make enough NOT to prioritize what matters
Excuse: “It’s not practical right now”
Truth: It’s never going to feel practical without a plan
What’s Really Holding You Back
It’s not that you don’t make enough money (though you might want to make more). It’s that you don’t have a system that turns your income into your dreams.
Most people have money flowing in and flowing out with no intention behind it. They pay bills, buy stuff, and hope there’s something left over for their real goals.
That’s not financial planning. That’s financial chaos.
The System That Actually Works
The people who live the lives they want have systems:
✅ They know exactly where their money goes (every dollar has a job)
✅ They pay themselves first (dreams included)
✅ They have emergency funds so unexpected expenses don’t derail plans
✅ They use debt strategically, not emotionally
✅ They invest consistently, not perfectly
✅ They make their money match their values, not society’s expectations
Houston Financial Planning That Funds Your Real Life
In my practice, I don’t just help people budget better. I help them design financial plans that fund the lives they actually want to live.
The difference: Instead of asking “How can I cut expenses?” we ask “How can I fund what matters most?”
This shift changes everything about how you handle money.
Your Dreams Are Calling
Stop waiting for someday. Someday is today, but only if you decide to make it happen.
Ready to Start Living Your Real Life?
This life-first approach to money is exactly what we teach in my Financial Summer Money program.
We don’t just teach budgeting – we teach life planning with money as the tool.
Module 6 – Building Legacy covers:
- Life Goal Planning: Turn dreams into actionable financial plans
- Value-Based Budgeting: Align your money with what matters most
- Wealth Building Systems: Create lasting financial freedom
Plus you’ll master:
- Foundation & Mindset: Break through limiting beliefs about money and dreams
- Cash Flow Optimization: Free up money for what matters most
- Emergency Fund Strategy: Protect your dreams from unexpected setbacks
- Investment Fundamentals: Build wealth while funding your real life
Don’t Wait Another Year
Limited-Time Grant Available: I have 20 grants that reduce the program cost from $2,500 to just $1,000. Applications close September 17th, and the program starts September 24th.
Apply for your $1,500 grant here and start funding your real life, not just your bills.
Your dreams have waited long enough.
About Bridgett Dickey
Bridgett Dickey is a Houston-based financial planner and founder of Dickey Financial. She graduated from Rice University’s financial planning program and completed personal and business owner training from Goldman Sachs. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in helping people align their money with their dreams while building lasting wealth.