Enjoy life. You don’t know how much time you have left, but you should certainly know how much money you have left. Ever so often when I share memes, I find myself having to qualify such statements in case they are misunderstood. There are folks who use these memes to justify their foolhardy actions.
Some time ago, while waiting in line at the express checkout lane at a supermarket, I saw that the young lady in front of me had a basket full of instant noodles. When she reached the cashier, she asked for a packet of cigarettes. It cost more than all her instant noodles put together. I was just curious. Why did she think it was all right to spend so much on a packet of cigarettes and yet she couldn’t afford to eat properly? Do you think that her choices can be justified by the meme above? It’s her life, her money, but I certainly wouldn’t spend my money this way.
We all have our interests and addictions. I’ve seen people spend a bomb on their hobbies. Can such behaviour be justified? Well, certainly if they were enjoying within their means and not “smoking” their lives and savings away. I don’t judge people. They have their own choices, interests and lifestyles. They do what makes them happy and in the end, it’s their own funeral. That’s why I have absolutely no issues with wealthy people like Mr Lee Lung Kei gifting houses to their much younger girlfriends. There are folks who own 10 bungalows and support several mistresses. I’m not disgusted and the moralists should shut up. In fact, I’m envious of Mr Lee. With so much money to burn, nobody should tell him what he ought and ought not do.
Yes, I don’t know how much time I have left. That’s why at the age of 60, I shouldn’t be spending the bulk of my time in the office. The bulk of my time ought to be spent reading, writing, exercising and keeping my family company. We could be at home enjoying a meal I’ve prepared or we could be outside shopping or strolling by the beach. We could also be travelling overseas. And of course, I’m not as rich as Mr Lee Lung Kei. In fact, in recent years, my income has gone way down.
Ten years ago, before we had so many billionaires coming in to set up shops and compete with every industry we have from massage parlours to medical clinics, I was planning to go to faraway and exotic places like South America and Antarctica. I can still splurge on such trips now, but that would be downright foolhardy because I would be draining my savings and my sense of security. I need to make some adjustments and visit places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand.
Enjoy life yes, but one still needs to be financially prudent. What if I don’t die tomorrow? What if I need money to support myself for another 20 or 30 years? It’s good to indulge once in a while, but it would be foolish to overspend on hobbies and holidays. Unlike that smoking lady in the supermarket line, I need to have enough for decent meals and proper clothing.
It’s the same with folks who maintain trophy partners to show off on social media when they don’t even earn a decent income with which to support themselves. They play Santa Claus even when they can’t afford to live and eat properly, often having to borrow money (sometimes from their children) to show off their trophy partners. These are the folks who need to wake up and straighten out their Maslow’s pyramid. They may be enjoying life but without practising a bit of financial prudence, they are either just being foolhardy or doing so at other people’s expense. No, I don’t envy these folks and it’s not that I look down on poor people. I just find them pathetic and like troublesome teenagers, they are in need of counselling.
New Book!
