I always thought I don't deserve to write about some topics because my life is not worth being a model for someone and only the wealthy ones deserve to be our role models but there is little knowledge we have learned trying to make life a bit better for us from what it used to be.
How would someone who can't boast of $10,000 give lectures about finance? That's true, what do I have as proof to show what I am teaching?
It is fine if you choose to skip the article, I wouldn't be offended because I wouldn't even know if you did. (Don't mind me for being silly).
I once worked with a company where I handle a lot of cash daily, there are days I went home with heavy cash. I am not just the only one that handles cash but we all have our differences when it comes to handling money and my attitude towards money makes my boss very confident about me and it has made him give me so many recommendations.
The staffs have this trend of running into debt so quickly, I have seen people go through six months without collecting salaries because of their debt record and I never fell victim to that for over two years with the company.
I took few people in the company (an International brand) as an experiment and I discovered a lot of things. As a supervisor, I earned less than $200 which is not enough for the responsibilities on me, and yet, I still ensure that I save $20 every money. It is small but that's not the point because I even inconvenience myself to do so since transportation alone has taken 30% of my earnings, I have to feed, pay utility bills and cater for my younger ones.
During the experiment, I discovered that a lot of my colleagues are following a particular trend that is causing setbacks for them but they weren't paying attention to it.
A lot of them cultivated a habit of hanging out every day after work, they do this in groups. I went with them for some days in just one week and I see how undisciplined they are financially. The worst part was that they don't know when to stop and that is what led them into lots of debt.
Spending $4- $6 daily on fun only every day for someone who earns less than $200 is outrageous. After getting the things I needed, I stepped back and they let me be after much persuasion that didn't work out.
A lot of them had to leave the job embarrassingly, some are still locked up to date. On the day I was stopped, they ran a check on the system and with distributors to check my debt record and I was cleared. I wasn't owing a dime, the HR regretted they had to take the decision but I knew it was God's time for me to move.
The HR asked series of questions and I made him understood that cutting my cloth according to the material available is what has kept me away from debt, I made sure I was financially disciplined.
I am not trying to be a saint, I was once very reckless with spending. I bought things I don't need because I see people having them, I did things that ended up as waste. There was a particular day I went to buy some clothes and I eventually gave half of it out, I later disliked the clothes because I was seeing them everywhere and don't like common things.
I thought about it and said to myself that "I wouldn't be able to achieve success in life if I don't start controlling my reckless habit towards spending".
I took a bold step towards doing the needful for myself and it has helped me.
There are a lot of things we are doing that are making us suffer financially, it looks like fun but these things are not healthy for us. It is different for everyone and it takes deep thoughts to realize what it is, and getting over it is the biggest issue because it is difficult leaving a lifestyle you are used to.
How would you feel if I said eating from the eatery always is not healthy for your wallet?
I spend $10 - $15 on my weekly feeding while eating from an eatery in a day would cost me almost $10 if I go on low-budget meals.
I am not condemning the act but doing it when you are not financially stable doesn't make any sense.
It doesn't end at this, I know of a man who spends about $2 on beer every day, it has become a habit. There is nothing wrong with that but for someone who moved into the company quarters because he couldn't afford house rent, it is a terrible lifestyle.
Aside from the fact that we don't have enough, not disciplining ourselves financially would only make us lack more because we have spent a lot on things that aren't important to our existence.
I have read about a scenario where a boss got his staff arrested after he did his housewarming. The boss doesn't have land and he lives in one of the expensive places in the state while this junior staff lived in a room apartment and he was gradually developing the small pieces of land he got almost as a gift.
The boss thought he was stealing from the company and got him arrested, after several investigations and interrogation, they got to know he was clean. The boss felt bad he had to put the guy through the stress and the guy quit the job.
The difference between the guy and his boss was the way he disciplined himself financially, he was able to achieve something good with that. Disciplining yourself would make people think you are stingy but the results of your discipline will make them understand why it is good to be disciplined.
Thanks for reading.
Handling our money really plays a big role in order to survive each day... Some people like to spend their money in non necessary things then later on they will borrow money. .. It's not a good habit.