Picture created by me using Nightcafe studio
You know there is this saying that money changes people. But I don't think money will change me because, I'm more about the idea of being able to finance my needs such that I do not see myself spending money on what I want or unnecessary luxury.
Back then in Uni, my friends would always tease me and say I have a suffer head (poverty) mentality because I do not subscribe to the chop life gang (luxurious lifestyle). They feel money is meant to be lavished and while they might be right in their opinions, in my own perspective the concept of money is not to be squandered but to be utilized in an accountable manner. The thing is if we focus on our want rather than our need, we will be setting ourselves on a wild goose chase because as the saying goes, Human wants are insatiable and the more you finance your want, the more void you just create inside, an endless pit of desires that one can never really fill.
One time my roommate's boyfriend decided to take us to see a movie, after the movie we were headed out of the mall then he saw some pair of shoes and said he needed to get them for himself. The shoe at the time was worth three hundred thousand Naira which should be at about six to eight hundred thousand Naira equivalent with the current inflation rate of the country. He got the shoes and didn't even bother to try it on if it will fit. Later on, he called my friend to tell her how both shoes were of different legs like left and left instead of left and right which means he could not wear the shoes. My roommate told him to return it for the error to be rectified but he declined and asked her because of how much? he went further to tell her he doesn't have time for all that, let the shoe be there not like he needs it.
When my roommate was giving me the gist, it was upsetting to me because I find that to be an abuse of finance and such attitude is common with people who are fortunate to be amongst the political class, since it's public fund, they do not know the value of money.
The value of any given item is in the getting process, if the getting process is a walk in the park you find that item being misused as it can easily be gotten at any given time.
My HOD back then in Uni would say Politicians and people who get money through fraud would not plan well with it according to him, they'd always spend the money carelessly because they can afford to, but that can never be me. I can never be caught wasting money even if it is what is supposedly tagged "free money".
Back then as a freelancer, I one time did a job for a company and also went further to help them retrieve the balance money from the government establishment we did the job with. I was already handsomely paid but then I wasn't going to just close the case because at the initial point of the contract what we were asked to pay was an estimated sum. I needed to be sure all the money was exhausted before closing the file. It wasn't an easy fight as the government establishment didn't want to release the accessment file. At a point, the company asked me to close the case and forfeit whatever money that might be left hanging but I refused. I told them I will see it through till the end so they washed their hands off. But then the company and I did have an agreement that if I could retrieve whatever money that was left, it will be transferred back to me since the fund will be wired directly to the company's account from the government's coffers.
Finally I retrieved the money which was a huge sum and the company kept to their words and transfered all the money to me. I told my friend about it and she was shouting that we should go and paint the town red. I just looked at her, me A certified Economist follow you to paint town red on vanity and liquor? God forbid! I first of all went and put the money in a fixed deposit account till I will have use for it.
Even if I had wanted to live life on small vanity then, I would have been able to afford it and still have enough left but God forbid! I eventually invested that money in opening a restaurant, an action I did not regret.