As the first Son in an African home, I've been taught how to manage the little resources that I have, so that whenever I eventually start working and earn a large income, I know how to utilize those funds or those resources.
So being a minimalist is something that I was brought up, something that I was taught in my home by my parents.
And so it has shaped the person that I am, shaped the way I view life, how I spend money, and generally my ideology about life and finances. However, it has also affected the way I mingle with people.
Most people tend to see me as a stingy person because I don't easily spend money. Let's say, for instance, my colleagues and I were having a discussion.
They would buy the latest cars, bags, or latest phones that were in vogue. Then they asked me if I were to be really rich, what will I spend my money on? And I told them I like being frugal with my spendings.
I would go for things that I need. They were shocked. Then they asked me if I had a child that was in primary school and it was time for her graduation, would I go to the boutique and buy her a dress of 200k or would it seem like the money is too much for me to spend?
And I told them honestly, that of a child in primary 5 having a dress of 200k to me was extravagant spending.
She would not know the value of that dress. And when I start something like that, I would have to continue
So it's either we go for a ready made dress, something that is not expensive, right? Either we go for a ready made dress or we go for something that is not so expensive or up to that amount.
Because like I said, she would not know the value of that outfit.
They were shocked and they started laughing at me and saying that I'll be stingy to my children and I will not let them enjoy life.
Saying things like, my children would go outside and look for who will buy those things for them. I told them that this is how I was trained and grown up to be an adult and it's working perfectly fine for me. I'm not going out to look for anybody to provide those funds for me.
That type of training has helped me become the individual I am today and enabled me to utilize whatever resources that I'm being given. That's why I can never go begging for funds or looking for who would sponsor my lifestyle. If they had trained me with an extravagant lifestyle, I would never have been able to manage the resources that I was given or that I'm being given at the end of the month.
They laughed at me, they made jest of me. But I did not feel bad. I knew that people would definitely talk, but they cannot change this perspective of me. It's something that I am used to, a character that I've imbibed and is working for me, I'll continue using.
However, there are people that would hear this and want to deviate from this particular lifestyle. Am I saying spending on yourself is wrong? No what I'm saying is, If you're giving a particular amount of money, you should be able to ration it in a way that you would not go broke or you would not beg.
The best thing is to live below your means, especially in the economy We are in right now where our naira, our currency, is at an all time low. You have any funds, you put some into savings and then you use the rest for needs. In economic class, while I was in secondary school, I was taught scale of preference, want and need.
I would always draw a list of things that I want and things that I need.When I look at the list, my needs come first before my wants.
That way, the things that I need which are so important to me would be gotten and the wants forfeited for a latter time.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blog.
Image used is mine.
