Money. How important is it actually?
As someone who comes from the middle-income group, I can tell you that it is important, only because you need it for things that is more important. You need money to buy food, a bed, pay for rents and school fees etc, all of which are more important than money. Of course, there're also things that money can't buy. Love, friendship, kindness, sincerity.
When I was in Secondary school, I spent my money treating people to Mc Donalds, buying new stuff, acting generous, despite the fact that my family wasn't very well to do. I guess this was pride and I didn't want people to know that I was poor and hence I acted otherwise. However, this is a very very very bad idea and it became a huge burden to my family as they had to 'sponsor' the immature me who only wants to satisfy my desire - to get more friends.
Unfortunately, those 'friends' that I made was only 'fair weather friends'. Friends who are there when all is well (when the weather is good) but leave your side once the storm comes. As I attracted them with monetary benefits, once I stopped being generous and 'charitable', they started turning their back on me and gossiping about it. This was I realised that money isn't everything.
I just want to share this with you guys so that you guys won't have to experience the same hurt as I did. More importantly, I hope to educate you on the value of money.
The value of money isn't in itself, but it is in the things it can get for you. Let's say that there is a disaster and there is no food on earth. So what if you have a million dollars? No one's gonna sell you any food (which matters). Hence, the value of the million dollars become 0!
With the same 20 dollar, if I spend it on a meal at fish and co., the value of that 20 dollar will be one full tummy. Yet, if I spend 3 dollar on a rose for mommy and 17 dollars on that badminton racket my little brother has wanted, the value will be love, joy, and smiles on your loved one's faces. For all you know, your 17 dollars may lead to the birth of the next Singapore Badminton Champion!
The point I want to make is that the money is in your hands and its value is in your hands as well. Do what you think makes the money worth it. I won't go on nagging about how hard it is to earn money because I'm sure many adults have gone that path and if I do, I probably won't succeed. I only hope that you can carry this mindset of 'money' and 'value' with you when you do another transaction next time.
Next, I want to talk about what people do when they have no money.
I guess there are generally 4 types of people.
1- the ones who insist on 'acting rich' and hence do many bad things to get money.
They steal, they rob, they lie, they do everything. Just to show off to the world with the latest gadget, the latest CD album, so on so forth. But what is the point? Stealing is a no-end habit. At first, you may steal because you 'need' it, (you probably want it more than you need it btw) and eventually you'll steal things that you don't need just because you can. This is a mental disease called kleptomania and it affects many of the teenagers today.
Think about your parents when they are informed of you bad deeds. They will be so ashamed of you. Not only that, they will be ashamed of themselves for being unable to provide for you (and hence result in you stealing). You are not only risking your life, but also telling to your parents that 'Hey! What you give me is not enough so I will steal it myself!!!!'. It will hurt your parents and people who care for you.
If you are the first type of people, I would encourage you to change.
If you still think that stealing is cool, I look down on you. How would you feel if your Mp3/ cellphone is stolen? By stealing, you are subjecting someone else in the world to this horrible feeling. Do you feel happy thinking about it? If you do, see me. You need some help..
2- Those who live with what they have
These people are those who are contented with being poor. If they can't afford the bag that they really want, it's okay. They will use the NDP bag their mother passed to them without grumbles. It's very noble, yet unwise of them. While they are not like the first kind who resort to evil doings to get what they want, they do not realise that they are able to help themselves to achieving things that will better their lives. They are myopic (jin shi - means only look at the short term) and are unable to look beyond their circumstances to see what they can do to get the bag that they want.
While these people are harmless to society, they do not contribute much as well. Read on to find out what else you can do! But please don't fall back to the first type of people. You are innocent, they are not.
3- People who work.
These people recognise the importance of money and they will spend their spare time working to earn their living. Maybe it is to buy food for the family, maybe it is to buy the new handphone. No matter what, they are getting money by the most decent manner - they earn it.
The satisfaction when you look at your pay, and buy the first thing with the first dollar you worked your ass off for is inexplicable. You will feel like as if you have grown wings and the whole world is under your feet. If you've never tried it before, I would encourage you to take a part time job to see the real value of money.
However, they is one thing wrong with this third group of people. Some of them work while studying and actually neglect their studies because they wanted to work so much. They tire themselves out and have no energy to listen in class. As a result, they fail their exams and have to repeat their year. Little do they realise that time is money (you can exchange it at the rate of 1 hour = $3 at mc donalds).
Another error that they commit is that they will use this money for entertainment. Think about it, you spend 7 hours working to get 30 dollars to spend it in Kbox for 5 hours. If you do the math, you lose 12 hours of time just to gain sore throat and maybe some fun and bonding with your friends. But such bonding can be done without money! True friends are made in the playground, where you share your deepest secrets and engage in heart to heart talk.
While I would pat your back for working so hard, if you committed any of the 2 errors, I would encourage you to quit your job and focus on what is important first.
The last kind of people are the wise and prudent ones. They know the importance of education and they know how it can pull them out of the poverty cycle. Hence, they forgo the 5k that they can earn in Mc Donalds and they focus on their studies.
If you graduate with a N lvl cert, you basic pay would fall around 1000.
With an O lvl cert, it can increase to 1500.
With a Poly degree, it can grow up to 2000.
For A level, it is around the same as poly, but it will give you a better chance of getting into a Uni, which can have a basic pay of up to 3000.
Work the Math. Ask yourself which is more worth it. If you passed your Sec 1 Math, you will realise that a jump in the level of cert will give you 500 dollars more a month. Now, you take around 5 months to earn this 500. If you spend the 5 months studying instead, knowing that it will pay off in the future, you and your family is only going to benefit from the higher income that you'll get!
If your friends are true friends, they wouldn't need you to be around 24/7. They would respect your decision of studying (instead of sniggering and calling you names) and support you to do what is right.
If your friends are going to ignore you because you are working towards your bright future, let me tell you, they are not worth the time. I won't want such friends in my fright future anyway.
If I can turn back time, I will surely study harder and get into a better school.. I do not wish for you to regret. trust me, I've been through this..
If you want your kids to have a better future, you should look far and start working hard now!
I do not mean that you should not spend time slacking/chilling with your friends; you should! my most memorable time in Sec School are those spent with my best friend, talking crap in Mac. But lesson time should be spent wisely, listening and absorbing as much as you can, instead of talking (which you can surely do after classes). Learn to love learning. When that happens, you will feel happy during lessons, not because it is fun. But because you are learning things that will help you in your future.
Well, I won't be in school much longer so I do hope that the time I've spent on you guys have helped you in a way or another. If you feel that I've wasted you time, I am truly sorry..
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