You and Your Money

Money doesn’t create happiness but there is no happiness without it in today’s world.

I remember when I was still young, living in a remote village in the middle of nowhere. I was living in the heart of Africa with my grandparents. We were in perfect harmony with nature and everything seemed to be alright. But we had no money. I used to dig from the ground the ancient  German coins from the ground and later throw them away. I was told that Germans had colonized Africa but left after their defeat.  I have never seen my grandparents counting money or paying for anything with money. Grandma disappeared when I was 12 and Grandpa died when I was 15 years old. Until then, we were swapping services. People were ready to build your house in exchange for beer or any other services or products.

In today’s world, that system is not working anymore. We have to accept money as a means to exchange goods and services. Furthermore, the new rules exist that restrict people to do certain jobs unless they have a licence for those jobs. People who came to build our house did not have a license. As I was growing up, I was told that I had to go to school, study hard, get a degree and a decent job, earn money and do whatever I wanted.

I went to school, got a licence degree, worked as a Teacher, then as a Journalist then as a TV Producer, a self employed grocery store owner, a Customer Service Representative, a Sales Consultant, a Real Estate Agent and finally, as Self-employed Internet Marketer.

But why did I have to go through all of these careers? Let’s check the following reasons.

Buy things

Many people seem to be addicted to shopping. They would develop an addiction to gathering things to the point where they are broke or they can’t find space in their home.

Every penny I earned had a specific plan. I am not a big spender. I only buy what I need not what I want. Actually, my wife gets annoyed when I go shopping with her. She seems to enjoy shopping and the entire day will end without her noticing. She is not a great spender either but she enjoy seeing, trying new arrivals in the shop. That way,  as she puts it, when the time comes, she knows where to find what she wants at a cheaper price. I may confess I could pay more for an item I need and get the hell out quickly without comparing prices from other places.

Maintain relationships

It is true that I like to pay my bills on time to keep a good credit history. I want to keep good relationships with my creditors. I need to take care of my family too. I have five children to care about. I also have my mother in Africa who is very old and can’t fend for herself. There is also a huge number of relatives, friends that are also asking for help but, even if I was Carlos Slim, Bill Gate or Warren Buffet, I wouldn’t be able to sent them the money they need. The richest people in the world  wouldn’t do that either. When they help, they help charities for example and get tax breaks. At the same time, they build their brand.

When you give money to one person, it might be cool. When I go on vacation, I always find a person to help. This person might be in need. She/he will never know my name and we may never see each other again. This is in remembrance of a lady I met at Pearson Airport in Canada and who gave me $10 US to take the bus to the city centre. I did not have a single dollar and I did not know anybody in Toronto.

However, if someone attempts to depend on me continuously, I prefer to give advice instead. It is better to teach them how to find money and anything they want in their lives. When you are not disabled physically or mentally, you are already wealthy. You just need a basic education and you are ready to go. From my own experience, giving cash all the time created more sorrow than happiness, more dependence, poverty and a sense of irresponsibility.

Create savings and investments

My mother, from the time I got to know her, was a keeper. Every penny she gets, she tends to hide it for rainy days. She doesn’t want to invest it as she may lose it in the process. There are so many people who are very worried about poverty while they are inviting poverty in their homes.

I like to invest my money in moderate risk investment vehicles. I like to buy stocks of major financial institutions. I always tell myself that the money today, is not the same money tomorrow. If you had $1000 and you put it in a savings account at 2% interest rate, you will have to pay taxes on the interest earned. You will also need to deduct an inflation rate of 2.2% minimum depending on the country you live in. In some countries the inflation can hit 50% and you will owe money to the bank at your next visit.

I love to diversify my investments. It is always better to start early, diversify and make the investment automatic. I did all that but I can tell you now that I did not reach my goal yet. The good news is I can see a huge improvement.

Here are a few tips to use if you are struggling with money.

• Do not pay interests on credit cards
• Pay interests on mortgage alone
• Separate needs from wants
• Take the public transportation if you can
• Share your home for extra income
• Cook your own food and take it to work
• Take the kids to the park
• Compare prices before buying
• Bargain
• invest early, regularly and automatically
• get a payroll deduction for your investments  to save on taxes

I don’t want to make you believe that everyone loves or needs money. There are some people who detest money like Diogenes, the Cynic. The Greek King Alexander came across this miserable man and asked him how he could help him. Diogenes said: “Yes, stand out of my sunlight.” The King, replied:”… if I wasn’t Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes.” To make the story short, Diogenes didn’t want anything from anyone. If you don’t need any money in today’s world, then you don’t even need to read me because I am a money seeker.

Travel

I dream of a time when I will not have to call my boss to report that I am sick because I won’t have any boss. How wonderful would it be to work on your computer from the sunny beaches of the Caribbean during winter times in the Northern Hemisphere? Imagine meeting the Indigenous Tribes of the Amazon, spending time with them, discovering their ways of living? How would you feel about discovering ancient civilizations like the Aztecs, the Bushmen? Have you already visited the Egyptian Pyramids or the Masai Mara National Park? How would you feel travelling and making money at the same time?

I love to travel and always travel on budget. Remember, travelling is a learning opportunity as well. Travelling will give you the inspiration to do more things in your life. For many of us, by the time we start to appreciate what we see, it is time go come back home to make more money for the next vacation. How about setting up your own business that will allow you to work from anywhere in the world? Did you know that most rich people became rich, not because of the income they earned from work?

I mean that if you want to be rich, you need to create your own business. This is the path I am recommending to you if you aspire for financial freedom.

Money, whether we like it or not, is and always will be part of your daily life. As long as you have your body, you need money to take care of it. You will not be able to do everything by yourself. You will need the help from other people and money to buy their expertise. You are a social person and will need money to spend on your family and friends as well. Money will not give you happiness but will take you a long way on the road to happiness. The money you get from your employer, no matter how much it is, won’t be enough for your financial freedom. Your own business, your ultimate goal, your mindset, your relationship with money and your environment will determine your success.