Having nice things is not a problem. By all means, have some. However, wanting everything to be nice all the time will leave you broke — if not massively in debt. Instead, what if you only had a few fine tastes? Wouldn’t you be able to afford them?

In most cases, yes — assuming your short list doesn’t include a mansion and a Bugatti Veyron supercar.

The trick is being intentionally selective about your fine tastes. Too many, and your lifestyle will suffocate your income.

Money is easy enough to count. Countless tools make budgeting straight-forward, and smartphones make it easy to check your checking account balance. So what’s the problem?

In his book The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin describes artists as “fairly normal” when they are not creating art. He goes as far as to call them “boring” the rest of the time. But wouldn’t you expect an artist to be an artist all the time?

First, what is art? Art is what you would do even if no one ever saw it. It is your God-given desire to create and express your unique shade of excellence.

Who is an artist? Anyone who actively creates. Painters, musicians, construction workers, bartenders, teachers, and dentists all start on the same level. Some become artists, while others consume art.

Back to the original question: Should an artist be an artist all the time, in all aspects of life?

How many financial priorities do you have? Do you spare money in certain facets of your life in order to have a large percentage available for a few important goals? Or do you spread your money everywhere under the sun — thin and sparse?

After I graduated college, wife and I wondered what to do with two incomes. Do we pay extra on a home mortgage? Do we pay off our student loans? Or do we squirrel away money in savings?

Or, should we do all three?