10 Insights and Observations about Money

Dearest Darling Friends,?

These are my thoughts,

1. Freedom is overrated as a financial goal.

There are plenty of uber rich people who can do whatever they want, whenever they want and spend as much money as they want. Many of these people still don’t take advantage of their perceived financial freedom.

Financial contentment is a better goal than financial freedom.

2. ‘Money can’t buy happiness’ but….

It is true that money can’t buy happiness, but, it can provide comfort, education, good medicines, etc. However, money is never a fix-it-all.

My philosophy is, I will have all the money to buy things I want. More importantly, I will also have things that money CANNOT buy (like health, friends and love). Having both is equally important.

3. The most successful people I know never brag about money.

If someone constantly brags about how much they make, how big their portfolio is, how much their house cost or how many toys they’ve purchased, they are displaying a huge insecurity about themself.

Financial security is not just about how much money I make or how much I have saved. It is in being grateful to have money and in knowing that money does not define me.

4. The best perspective about money comes from past versions of myself.

It’s impossible to keep up with all of the rich people in my circle because the more wealth I accumulate, the more wealthy people I meet.

I find it helpful to look back at my own past to find gratitude when it comes to my financial status.

My first salary was peanuts. I could not afford a taxi till I was 25 I could not start saving until my early 30s.

It’s much easier to appreciate what I have when I look back at where I started.

5. Delegating is a wise decision.

Time is the most finite of all resources. Having people to do a job is a good investment of money if it saves me time and stress. In other words, when I delegate, I am buying myself time and relaxation.

6. Keep saving as you get richer.

Have you heard about the term Lifestyle creep?

Lifestyle creep occurs when an individual's standard of living increases as their discretionary income rises.

A hallmark of lifestyle creep seeing spending on nonessential items as a right rather than a choice. This is visible in the spending attitude of "you deserve it”. A way to manage lifestyle creep is by budgeting. I make sure that as my income rises, so does the amount of money I save. Keeping my savings the same (as a percentage of my income) works for me. That way my spending and savings rise commensurately.

7. I always pay the bills when I am with friends or family.

I remember being broke in my 20s and being worried when the bill came when I went for dinner with friends or family members. To celebrate Diwali when the whole family would go out, I would be stressed about the bill amount.

Now that I don’t have those worries, it feels great to pick up the tab without the need for anyone to reciprocate.?

8. Now and then, everyone deserves a free card for spending.

Savings is always a priority. But I allow myself certain guilt-free spending categories so that I can enjoy my hard-earned money.

These guilt free spendings for me are books, technology and sometimes, clothes.

Other people spend on fine dining or automobiles or expensive bags or travel or body care products.

As long as I am saving money, I give yourself a break when it comes to certain budget line items.

9. No one has a fixed goalpost.

The goalposts are constantly moving because I have felt differently about money as I have aged. Goals have changed.

The bad news is few people are ever content with how much money they have.

The good news is these feelings keep me moving forward and improves my family’s standard of living.

The key is to have newer goals without having the burden of earning more money. After a stage where survival has been taken care of, making more money should be an exploration of our potential, grabbing of opportunities and lotsssss of fun.

10. Most people aren’t unlucky with money.

The problem is usually not the income, but poor decisions. Financial literacy is close to zero for most people.

I know some people who were struggling when they were making 50k a month who are still struggling when they are making 10 times that money. Their relationship with money is like the ECG scan of a heart patient in a hospital.

Make smart decisions about money, exercise intelligent judgment when managing finances and refrain from pursuing imprudent financial ambitions.

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With love, prayers and best wishes,

naren