I’m sure you’re expecting me to say that I have a favourite expensive wine or something, but I’ve tried a thousand wines and they all taste similar to me. I’m pretty specific on the cuts of meat I like, so if there’s one place I’m willing to splurge, it’s on the right cut of meat. Nothing beats a ribeye. Camera equipment too- Budget equipment comes with a lot of limitations that hurt you over the long run. Being in media creation as a professional field, I definitely reserve funds for better quality camera equipment. 

Life is hard! I’m a lucky guy and that my job is in a field I really love, but it still comes with a lot of long nights and early mornings. When you take some time to enjoy the things you really love, just makes life a little sweeter and the hard work feels worth it. 

Deep breathing outside in nature. Doesn’t cost a thing but adds a lot to your day. I also really enjoy cooking - you can get really creative even when you’re on a budget. And honestly, even on the worst days, my kids make me feel like a million bucks. 

Use your peaks to prepare for the valleys. As an entrepreneur in the creative arts, there are many times where the work is seasonal - especially early on when I was just a photographer. There were parts of the year where I would make a lot of money, and then a few months over the winter, business was slow. When I was very young, I would spend what I make, and then struggle in the dry times. As I got older and wiser, I started anticipating the financial valleys and I would put money aside when times were busy to help cover me during those slow spells and that made all the difference in my quality of life just because of the stress it eliminated.