First salaries are special! Here's what happened when I received my first salary.

The first salary is special for everyone. It was special for me too. It doesn't matter how much you earn or how much you are paid. It is the first feeling of financial independence and getting on your feet. The very thought of getting your first paycheck is very exciting. I think everyone puts a lot of thought into what we want to buy for our loved ones. A smart-phone for mother, leather wallet for father, branded shoes for brother and a piece of jewelry for little sister! And the planning of this starts as soon as you land a job.

I recall the days when I struggled for my first job. I was just passed out and almost everyone in the industry wanted someone with experience. But, luckily, I got one job for myself. The payscale for not so much but there was a lot to learn and I was happy that my hard work will not go to waste.?

In no time, the day came when I was about to receive my first paycheck. The night before, I was full of excitement and a list of things to buy for my family and close friends waited eagerly for the check.? When I held my first salary cheque in hand, I felt that piece of paper looked more beautiful than ever! I was feeling more independent and confident than ever.

When I received the message “Your account has been credited with xxxxxx”, I was on cloud 9. Tears were rolling down my eyes. I could see my parents looking at me from the door and I can tell they were very proud of me.

That night, after dinner, my father said, “we need to talk about your salary” and I was scared. Back in my days, fathers wanting to talk over certain things was a huge deal!

We sat down. He asked me the amount I was paid and what I was about to do with it.

I explained to him that I wanted to get gifts for my near & dear ones. I wanted to throw a party for my family and friends and wanted to buy dresses and a new phone, shoes and fancy make-up.?

He listened carefully and said, it was perfectly fine for me wanting to shower love and affection towards my family and friends but he politely explained that I should invest that money instead of buying things that won't last even more than a year.

He made me understand that if at all I wanted to give someone, I should give them something which would help them in the long run. Something like books or plants or my time! He called these gifts ‘the sensible gifts’ and that hit me hard!

I told him that I would think about it and let him know of my decision within a day or two.

He agreed.?

Later that night, my brother was watching the movie ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’, and I overheard the words, “With great power, comes great responsibility” and that got me thinking, with the power of money, comes responsibilities such as Financial Responsibility, Savings, Investments, Expenses etc.?

And then, I made a list of ‘necessities’ and ‘luxuries’ and I chose to spend 50% on necessities, 15% on luxuries and the rest 35% on savings (investments).

And today, I am grateful to have a structure for my expenses and savings so that I can deal with any financial emergency!