How to create money to pay for things

You may not know this – but I just got a new car and remembered how to drive (I got my license in high school but have driven only a handful of times since then – and have been terrified of it for the past few years). So recently I decided it was time to kick this fear to the curb and (but not actually hit the curb), and learn. So in true Becca style, I went out that week, bought a car in a day, and drove myself to my hometown for my dad’s birthday. Freedom! It felt great and turns out I’d built it up to be WAY scarier than it was (sound familiar?).

I have to say, I am a pretty good driver – I am careful, I don’t speed more than the flow of traffic, and I’m extra cautious in the city (I live in Toronto and there are bikes and shit everywhere – it’s REALLY easy to kill someone!).

So it was a shock to me when I woke up and got my mail the other day and had a red light camera ticket waiting for me! From the looks of the photos they took (which is super creepy but also kind of made me feel like a movie star), I was making a right hand turn, and was probably starting to go into the intersection when it was juuuuust turning red. I don’t remember this at all and if I did it (which I guess I did, since they have photo evidence) I definitely wasn’t doing anything that felt dangerous. Just really bad timing with when the yellow changed to red, and I shouldn’t have jumped the gun and tried to make the turn.

The fine is $325. That’s pretty significant. And while I could just pay it and be done with it, or try to go fight it and waste multiple days of my precious time, I found myself wanting a solution that would make me feel good instead of crummy. How can I turn this shitty circumstance into something more positive? How can I use my entrepreneurial spirit here to make the best of a bad situation?

When it comes to money, I like to think of it as a game.

How can I create more of it by having fun and benefitting other people? How can I challenge myself? How can I turn something with so much weight and emotion around it, into something light and fun? This is how I run my business and how I deal with pretty much all money situations in my life.

So for this ticket I was thinking, how can I create the money to pay this, rather than feel like this has to take away from the money I already have. I’ve done this before in my life – how can I create the money to re-decorate my home, rather than dip into savings? How can I help my clients create the money to come on my retreats, rather than have them listen to their money blocks and never get out of that cycle?

How can I pay for this ticket and feel good about it?

And the answer seemed simple. It seems easy. In fact it seemed so easy that I hesitated for a hot second before actually doing it. More on that in sec.

Here’s what I decided to do. I created discount code for Hey Nice Package. 50% off. 2 uses only. Those 2 purchases will pay for the ticket AND give 2 people who otherwise may not have been able to afford the program, a chance to buy it at a significant discount.

Win-win if you ask me.

I hesitated to do this because a (very small) part of me worried that someone reading this would think that I was cheap or lazy, or not wanting to take responsibility for my actions. Think that I was just trying to selfishly get out of paying my ticket.

I got over that feeling REAL quick and what I realized was that, actually, it wouldn’t matter if anyone DID think that. Because I kind of am trying to get out of paying it! I don’t want to fork over $325 that I might have already allocated to something else (rent, bills, travel, booze, whatever).

 

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There are 3 truths here that I see as important:

  1. It doesn’t matter what I want to spend my money on. And it doesn’t matter what you want to spend your money on. This was a shitty traffic ticket. It could have been a new pair of shoes. Or a veterinary treatment for my dog. Or a last minute flight to go see a friend across the country. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to feel ashamed about how you spend YOUR money.
  2. As business owners, we have the unique ability to generate our own income. Unlike many people, how much money we make is not fixed. We can earn as much or as little as we want, really. And as business owners, it’s part of our job to think creatively about how we can do that.
  3. If we can do all of that without hurting anyone, perfect – that’s the goal. But if we can do it all while HELPING someone – more fucking power to us.

So that’s what I did. I got my ticket paid and HAPPILY mailed in my cheque, and 2 people who might not have been able to afford my programs got to buy them. It’s a simple creative solution to an everyday problem.

And that’s what business is all about.

I hope this inspires you to see where you might be able to create possibilities and options and opportunities where they otherwise didn’t exist. To create win-wins. And to have more fun with the process of making and spending money (in your life and business)

xo becca

PS. If you know someone who needs a creative dose of money inspiration, I’d love for you to send this over to them!

PPS. If you are a new business owner and need some help getting your business off the ground so you can create your own income, check out my Uncage Your Business program!

5 Comments

  1. Stacey on May 12, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    I LOVE THIS Bekka!! I think it’s the perfect solution. I think this is how we should all look at the challenges in life. You’ve really inspired me today! And I’m about to buy HNP with my UYB discount so you’ll have a little extra to throw in that ticket’s face. 😉



  2. GJ on May 13, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    This is REALLY good, Becca. Thanks for a bit ‘o inspiration, some truth, and a smile.
    And that’s a LOT for a “red light right turn”. Serves ’em right that you figured out this workaround.
    Cheers & high fives –
    GJ



  3. Donna on May 16, 2016 at 9:42 am

    I love this post! I have done something similar when an unexpected expense arrived. After the initial annoyed reaction, I tried to generate the money- and I usually ended up with more than I needed!

    Love your perspective and congrats on the new “driver/car” status.



  4. Rachel on May 17, 2016 at 8:46 am

    Really cool perspective! Total word nerd that I am, I even love the semantics of “creating” money vs “earning” it. (Oh, and as someone who recently remembered how to drive too, congrats! It totally feels way scarier than it is when you actually get into it.)



  5. Peyton on June 3, 2016 at 1:11 am

    Reminds me of when John Lennon said to Paul, “Today let’s write a swimming pool.”