Living Frugally

Although it mayn't seem it from all my incessant posts reporting to you about the things that i'm constantly buying, i actually value frugality above a lot of qualities. There is no one more admirable to me than someone who spends little money and manages to get by comfortably and stylishly. And it's something that's very hard to do. I'm not an idiot. I know that money can't buy class, taste or distinction. Only fools believe that it can, but every time i go out to buy nice clothes, books and shoes a part of me also believes that it can. They say it's tacky to talk about money. They're right, but for purposes beyond abiding to social niceties, i'm going to delve into it well and truly in this post.

For one, living alone this year has taught me a few things about money. One, it's hard to make. Two, it's easy to spend. Three, people who earn more than most, actually earn less than how much we think that they do. I'm going to talk about each one in detail. One, money is hard to make. This is a no brainer. The hours at work drag by so slowly and so tediously. Pay day arrives thanks not to speed but to the inevitable ticking of time. We are slaves to our stomachs. This is everyone, even the most affluent individuals. Making money isn't just about working. It's about working hard and working at a level that proves to your employers that you're worthy of your salary or wage. I've learnt this year that the world is all about profit and competition. You have to perform better than everyone and be willing to pour yourself into your work to make sure that all your expenses are covered. There's one thing that you can remember to reassure yourself when you see people who seem to get paid to do nothing. They have different sets of problems that you'll never be able to access or understand. There's no easy way out of anything. No one is really getting it easy in the end if you face one on one with them and they decide to grant honesty and vulnerability to you.

Two, it's easy to spend. When we see an amount of funds in our bank accounts, the first thing that we feel is that we need to take advantage of this pile of green cards that we have in our possession. Money gives us so many choices. It makes us feel like kings for a day. Although they say the best things in life are free ( And this is true ), this is something that we only truly appreciate when we're in bed and the lights are out and there's no one to tell. When daylight approaches, reality sinks in. We're hungry, we're desperate to look cool, we want to feel well looked after. All these things make people envious of us. They elevate us above other people because we look like we are doing better than them. Nothing could be more specious. Spending money is fun because it's instant gratification. You worked for hours for this amount of money, but once you get it you forget what $200 is really worth. It's actually worth about $400 of your energy, time and commitment.
We always feel like we should be getting paid more for what we do.

Three, and this is perhaps the most interesting thing i've learnt : People who earn more than most, actually earn fractions less than the imagined amount that we prescribe to them. When we look at affluent people, we think that they have it all. They have the great cars, the beautiful houses and the expensive, beige outfits. They have all of this, but being able to afford something doesn't necessarily mean that they can afford it without issues and compromises. A person on a pension can buy a new designer bag, but does this make them affluent? No, it just means they can afford something that is beyond their means. People who look affluent, or want to show the world that they are don't necessarily have the true means to live up to their image. Millionaires are not exempt from this reality. Even the most affluent are living beyond their means.
So what conclusion am i arriving at? Well, today i received some distressing news to do with my own financial situation which i won't disclose. It's seriously time to stop this extravagance that i've always been so addicted to. There's some sick desire that comes with shopping that my friends and I agree with and cannot fully quell. Not even waking up early in the morning and being productive can beat this selfish and indulgent experience. Nothing can ever beat it. But i'm going to have to. My diet is already very frugal and i like this because it's healthy and it's light. I like eating the way that i do now because it's affordable and makes me feel physically good. As for my addiction to shopping? Well, that's got to stop and i've tried to so many times to no avail.
I am not going to go cold turkey because any drastic means to stall behaviour or addictions rarely secures success. I'll have to moderate my expenses well and truly. I know i have more clothes than i'll ever need but it never seems enough. The trick is to not know what you're missing out on. In the mean time, there's hard work to be done and even though i enjoy it, it's still difficult to accept this as the tone of your overall life. Is this maturity?