Your expenses reveal your values
MONEY will make you more of who you really are.
Picture taken from www.elbarriofans.comWe don't have a money problem, it's an attitude problem
Look at where you spend your money and you'll have a pretty good idea about what you value.
Some people might reject this idea and say "I don't value my social life that much".
But when the rubber hits the road, you would choose to go drink at some joint than pay your child's school fees, you would allow your child to join the silly club of izikhothane so you can appear like you got lots of cash, you can drive a flashy car than have your own house.
Following last week's column I received some comments from readers about their true stories.
So you might think I'm crazy to write something as ridiculous as this, but this is so you know that there are people who are truly messed up out there.
Those who attend my money conversations are surprised when I tell them that we don't have a money problem.
I have seen the "not-so-broke people", the affluent people who live in high places; those who are "living large" and buy houses they could afford and fill them up with lots of stuff.
A few years later, they move, sell their houses to buy even bigger ones that will fit the stuff they bought. They buy houses so big and fill it yet with more stuff they don't use.
Ultimately, as a result of all the stuff, they spend more money renting storage houses to put the stuff they have not used.
What a mission. Why not give the stuff to those who need it the most? Why keep such rubbish? What is worse is the food that gets stored in their large refrigerators. The food rots and gets thrown away when others are nearly starving to death!
Let me talk about those who are "not so affluent". I mean those who kind of battle to make ends meet and yet they can manage to spend money buying fancy containers they hardly use, the dinner sets bought for visitors that never come, the brand new, never been used pots and the pressless linen stored away for special people while their children eat food cooked from inferior pots and sleep with old rags they inherited from their grandmothers.
One family man ran a cellphone bill of R12000, while he earned R8000 a month.
Another man rented an apartment for R3000, while paying R18000 a month for a car.
A woman bought a BMW X5 and couldn't drive it because she could not afford petrol.
A young guy used his first job salary to buy a "top of the range" (so he says) cellphone and got a bank loan for living expenses for the month - and you wonder why some people are broke?
Being broke is a choice. When we do crazy things like this we choose to be poor and broke.
Interestingly, when we feel the heat of debt, we have the audacity to blame our employers for not paying us enough.
We chose to be broke because we love it.
If we didn't want to be broke we wouldn't be. It's as simple as that.
Saying you want to have money means nothing if your actions contradict your words.
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Comments
madamx
This is so true.I have also chosen to be poor. 90% of my salary go to debt 10% go to insurance.
I get my living expences from my 2 boyfriends.
Sad but true...
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Kubs
I beg 2 differ. Its not a choice 2 b poor. Please keep in mind that a true definition of a SALARY is a certain amount given to you on a monthly basis created with the purpose to keep u in debt. It is design to cater for your certain needs only NOT our WANTS. And we all have the right to spend it the way we want to. And also keep this in mind that the majority of poeple in SA earn less than 7K. Try to support urself and ur family with just 7K and tell me how u will survice. We are victims, we are economical slaves. We can afford basic needs. Salary do not match the price of food, petrol and educationReport Abuse
m23
@kubsdis is debatable there r people who r supptng a fmly of 4 wth les dn 7K a mnth n de r dse who r sellng vegies n sweets to tke cre of their fmlys.we jst hve excses to spnd mny on things we dnt aford so oda ppl cn thnk we hve mney!!!
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ZuluPrincess711
@Kubs. I think you read this article all wrong or maybe lost objectivity to grasp what the write is talking about. Not everyone chooses to be poor in SA. We live in an economy engrossed by abject poverty and "the larneys" co-existing. I think the write is referring to the larneys who then make a choice to live in credit-striken poverty. And i couldn't agree more!Report Abuse
BRA-MAFUTHA
@madamxu sopotiwa heti boyfriends ta wena vele timbhirhi... kuva nwansati swa nandziha maan!
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Moneylady
This has abosutely nothing to do with the poor people. She is obviously refering to the people who get into debt then blame everyone but themselves. Lets take responsibility.Report Abuse
gynexdoor
This article is so true.....we should live within our means....budget on what you have. Its quite point less to pay R18000 on a car and pay R3000 on an apartment. And again i guess its all about priorities... The funny part about all of this is that ..the wealthy buy luxuries last and the poor buy theirs first...when they cant keep up they cry foul about low salaries.Report Abuse
Mnikazi
"If we didn't want to be broke we wouldn't be. It's as simple as that"Truth huts and those hurting will abviously be in denial.
After years of assessing peoples AFFORDABILITY i realised that most people who earn more . . . R18k plus are really struggling than those below.
ITC problems, Debt commited etc . . . .They change wifes and husbands, cars and credit cards . . . .their bank stats always have over R800.00 expenditure on take aways per months excluding alchohol. . . . no kids expences yet they have them.
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Pipiekgolo
I am also poor. My girlfriebd takes all my money then I am left with nothingReport Abuse
Size
@PipiekgoloWhy are still together if you dont like being poor. She should keep your bank card and pin because clearly you working for her..LOL!!
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