It was 4:42 a.m. in the Oakland Hills of California. He awoke to a loud noise directly above his head. What the heck was going on? Then it registered. An earthquake! He was a bit afraid. The fault line was nearby, and he really felt the jolt of that 4.2. He jumped out of bed to see what the damage was to the second floor of his condo.

Beans were scattered everywhere. The big milk jug that had been filled with them had toppled off the top of the kitchen cabinets about eight feet up. A clock, about two feet in diameter, had fallen off the wall and knocked over the jug. He said when he’d originally hung the clock on the wall that he knew the molly bolt he’d used was too small. But that was the only molly bolt he’d been able to find in the house, so he’d used it. He hadn’t wanted to trek back down the hill to the hardware store and get the appropriate hardware.

I’ve done similar things. I push to get a task done, so I make do with what I have rather than doing it the way I know is best. I skimp.

I’ve always regretted skimping.

I always end up spending more time, money, and effort fixing the thing I scrimped on.

It may seem easier, cheaper, and faster in the moment to skimp, but the long-term results can literally ruin your day, business, and life.

Skimping is the opposite of abundance.

When you take the perspective that you do have the time to do it the right way, you’ll stay calm and make better choices.

Many of the deadlines we push toward are self-imposed. Pushing to meet a deadline of any sort will create tension. Deciding to meet a deadline with ease will lead to higher-quality results (much better than killing yourself in the process). Plus, rushing to complete a project is a creative buzzkill. The bonus of believing you have an abundance of time is that you will most likely make a deadline effortlessly.

Many times it’s tempting to skimp on quality. I used to own a housecleaning agency when I was in my twenties. When I trained my employees, I told them to be aware if they caught themselves thinking, “That’s good enough.” This usually meant they were taking a shortcut and skimping on service.

Aiming for excellence doesn’t mean more effort unless you have the mindset that it does. Picking up an object to dust underneath it is easier than dusting around it. You’d be surprised at how many people skimp and think they’re taking a shortcut but are actually sacrificing more time in the end (quality, too!).

Have you ever skimped when you bought yourself something? You purchased your second-choice item because you couldn’t justify spending a little bit more cash on something you didn’t absolutely need. Later you wished you’d spent a few more extra bucks to purchase your first choice.

Or you bought the cheap thing for your business or invested in the cheap support and all you got was a headache.

Getting top quality with the features you really desire will always be a good investment.

You’ll be more joyful every time you use the item, it will be in better working condition, and you’ll have no regrets. When you align with having what you really want and invest in it, things will work out well for you.

My grandmother was a person who scrimped with herself. She spoiled us kids with lots of love and food. She’d bend over backward to make us happy. But with herself, it was a different story.

She always saved her money in case things went bad. She’d drive all over town to different grocery stores to buy what each of them had on sale. She’d spend hours doing this versus going to one store and finishing her shopping in less than an hour. She probably spent more money in gas, driving all over Martinez, than she saved on that can of corn for sixty-nine cents.

Your heart knows when you’re skimping. It doesn’t feel good.

Abundance is a feeling, not a price tag.

It means feeling spacious about time and money… knowing that you deserve whatever you’d like simply because you were born.

Abundance feels fabulous. You are safe in the world, and it’s one big playground for you to explore… and it’s okay to receive and enjoy all that you want.

Now go have some fun!