Allow me to take you on a trip through my past and reflections about thrift.
I was brought up in a society that worshiped excessiveness in everything we did, as long as it involved spending money.
It could be in terms of technology or clothes; the message was always clear – more is always better.
However, when I took control of my financial life, I began asking myself questions regarding this attitude towards life and started looking at some advantages of being economical.
Think about someone who has just graduated from college with no savings but lots of dreams plus ambitions waiting her out there in the world. Like most people at that age bracket, what attracted me most was quick satisfaction; flashy gadgets, nights out drinking around town or even lavish trips abroad (although I'm yet to travel).
But among all these highs there still remained one thing nagging behind my sub-consciousness: financial security coupled with planning for future.
The importance of frugality did not hit home until I experienced financial difficulties myself. Suddenly the extravagant lifestyle which seemed normal became unsustainable for me due to lack of enough funds to support such a lifestyle.
It then dawned on me that what needed to be done is re-evaluating priorities and becoming conscious about how money is spent.
I embraced thriftiness and found that I acquired a new sense of liberty and self-control. Rather than pursuing temporary pleasures, I concentrated on establishing a firm economic base for myself. I took note of my expenses, saved part of my earnings for the future, invested them in different areas and looked for methods to live more eco-friendly.
One example that appealed to me was likening my financial practices with gardening.
Much like a gardener who takes care of every single plant until it blossoms beautifully; similarly, I nurtured this realm by cutting down unnecessary spending, adopting good saving habits and waiting patiently for investments to mature. It took time but eventually i got what i deserved out of it all.
The second analogy that made an impression on me was thinking about personal finance as being more like running a marathon than sprinting towards wealth or contentment.
Instead of trying to get rich quick or seeking immediate gratification, i decided to play the long-term game, which involves steadily building wealth over the years through consistent savings & investments.
Like marathoners who pace themselves throughout the race in order not burnout too early; so too did patience become one of my strongest assets when it came down to money matters.
However, the necessity to conform to my principles was among the most important things I found out while being economical. Rather than basing my self-esteem on possessions, I tried to get them through experiences, relationships and personal development.
Consequently, genuine happiness came from such things as doing charity work for a course that I believed in or spending more quality time with friends and family.
My journey towards thriftiness has been nothing short of life-changing. The number of lessons that it has taught me are countless but here is just some:
- Appreciation for financial freedom;
- Showing how powerful patience can be; - - - Understanding what living by your values really means.
This knowledge will forever shape who I am as an individual. In light of this fact, all I want now is for other people around me to start saving money too because only then will they truly understand its immense impact on their lives.
