I'm not a fan of buying expensive things at the detriment of my finances but I prefer buying solid commodities that would return the value I vested in them over time. Everyone knows that quality products are bound to be expensive, but certainly, not all expensive products are quality.
There are times we misjudge the true definition of quality by looking at price and ignoring other parameters.
However, the times when the price was used to solely determine quality are no longer there. Gadgets are some of the things I spend money on, more than anything. This is because of the important value they hold.
Value begets Value
While I am a fan of dressing and looking good, I do not believe I need to break the bank to look good, I once someone that expensive wigs or clothes aren't what reflects beauty.
When people dress in cheaper ways, we want to actually see if what they wear synchronizes with them. No one solely focuses on cost, unless it's dressing to prove a point or boost one's ego.
Sometimes, what people wear or spend money on might not even bring out that vibrance they desire and you cannot replace this by wearing expensive things. discovering one's style is a better way to divert money in the right direction.
While people majorly wear expensive things to validate their worth, the truth is that the things that are deemed to be expensive might not be fitting, or give off matching radiation.
We Inadvertently Attach Cost To Finesse
Sometimes, we intentionally do so
I once talked to someone who said they cannot wear a shoe of $10, I found this to be a bit disconcerting and somewhat of a red flag, but I didn't blame her, when you work hard for money, there's always a unique way you place value on it: you plan for it, visual using it wisely and intend on getting value from every cent no matter what.
A lot of people in life don't fill the jar before tipping it. This can mean spending without thinking, or not having enough but spending anyway, on things that should be avoidable.
Now gadgets are things I spend money on, with just a little scrutiny, because I know their worth. In Nigeria, people are always alarmed when the people they know spend money on high-end tech devices.
Beat The Criticism
Most young, tech-savvy people in Nigeria, always have to lie to people about the real price of some of the gadgets they own, because they don't want to be deemed to be wasteful. It's two different things when you spend to buy a Balenciaga or spend to buy a laptop.
However, when we buy expensive things, we firstly think of the money. One thing I use to tell people like this is: don't let the world FUD in on you.
When people criticize you on price, they tend to berate you, telling you that you've been wasteful. This is because these people do not know of value adjudication.
They don't calculate the value you would derive from those products, they don't even seem to know whether you're trying not to spend more in a bid to spend less. You should know that when it comes to spending people are the exact opposite of the things they say.
Value Is Validation, It's Bigger
For example, someone who spends $300 for a one-time commodity such as a wedding gown, might berate you for buying a $400 laptop which might give you 3 to 4 years of undiluted performance and potential income.
Not being properly exposed to some financial nomenclature is why people are poor judges when it comes to money. This is why some people will spend to show off but not do so to invest in a prospect.
The former is aggrandizing, the latter is sacrificial. So also, there are people who would berate you for spending less, especially when they think you should be spending more, just like the lady who felt I was broke for spending 8$ on a shoe.
Don't Let The FUD Get To You
People are FUDsters of the highest order. They FUD you into thinking that you've underspent or overspent, meanwhile, they're doing the same incredulous things and making outrageous mistakes.
money is a unique commodity, we don't earn it the same way and certainly shouldn't be spending it in the same way. We're always going to be criticized for what we deem valuable, especially when it suits us, serves its purpose, and does not leave a hole in our pocket.
To get the altruistic validation of your spending culture, following like-minded people is the only way to do so.
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