After passing away at the age of 82 years, John Grant had lived the last few years of his life out of a van. A loner and a recluse who died in a motel room in March of 2008 left behind a savings of $263,000 stashed away in cassette tape cases in $5 to $50 bills, which he had saved over the course of his career as an auto mechanic.

Police searched for months for an heir and finally found his Granddaughter, Sarah Snyder who at the time was 27 years of age. She said “It’s horrible the way it had to happen, yet it’s really been a blessing in my life. It’s giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams.” Sarah is a bank teller, and began using the money to study international business.

Money serves a purpose everyday in our lives whether we like it or not. And most of the time we have to spend some of it at some point. Unfortunately, the accumulation of money, or saving it doesn’t always work out for the best. In the case of John Grant, there could have been a number of reasons why he ended up the way he did, but he obviously had no desire to spend the money he had obtained over a period of time to improve the final years of his life.

Saving money is a good thing, and in no way are we saying that it leads to a miserable life, but not being able to enjoy some of the money we have saved can lead us to become what I call Savings Robots.

If you find that you are so focused on saving, that you are not able to enjoy life or unique experiences in life which may come at a monetary price, then you have become a Savings Robot. These could include things like going out for a nice meal once in a while, taking a family vacation, spending money on your health, going to a local museum, buying a new pair of shoes and so forth.

As we age, the things we have accumulated in life become less usable. Unfortunately this also includes money. The energy or health that a person has when they are 30 are no longer at their disposal at 70 for most. So why do some people forgo ever spending anything in order to have a stockpile of savings, when they are no longer able to use it on things that enhance and make a life rich rather than the person?

Having an unbalanced view in your savings habits can cause you to lose the big picture as to why you are saving, and lead you to becoming a Savings Robot. Take a step back, be honest with yourself, and ask those around you who know you well if you are a reasonable person when it comes to saving money. Only each one of us individually can do that because of different circumstances, but doing so can open our eyes to a more fulfilling and balanced way of living.