How should we spend our money? On ourselves? On other people? On experiences? Studies have shown that spending money on other people can be more rewarding.
A couple of packets of gummy bears each time you go to a country, some souvenirs and one day, they just stop being your friend. A packet of mini smarties, a note on each of them and handed out to people that you really care about. Now, which one stays and which one leaves?
In my experience, people come and people go. We spend so much time, effort and money on a person and in the end, you feel like you’ve wasted your time. Eventually leading to regret, guilt, remorse and lastly, the hate that surfaces each time you come across the person.
Yes, it is always rewarding when you spend your money on other people, but in my opinion, when it comes to people, I think the most rewarding people you can spend money on is:
1. People in need (Children who don’t have parents, people who are disabled and are not capable even if they wanted to work and the likes)
2. Your parents
3. Your spouse/ Your self
4. Your pets
5. Your friends
If you spend your money on a vacation, say to a different country, that is an investment on its own. You explore, you discover and most importantly, you learn a thing or two. If you spend your money on yourself and not on anyone else, for example, on buying expensive clothes, on buying the most up-to-date gadgets, so on and so forth, you satisfy your wants but how long can you do that for? There’s always going to be something better, something more expensive, something much more fun to play with. So, do I just have to settle then? No. Of course not. Your wants and your needs are equally important, but within reason.
See, in my experience, give too much and people take advantage of you, be too calculative and you’re labelled as being stingy. So, how do I solve this predicament? What’s the strategy?
Simple. Your time, should be focused on you, your family and those who truly matter. Similarly, your money should be invested in people who really need it and in people who really matter. Sometimes, and trust me with this one, people take, take, take and never give back. Be wise, it’s extremely rewarding to give and to see the happiness on their face. However, it is equally frustrating and sometimes infuriating when all they do is take and they never even ask you if they could chip in for the pizza or whatever it is that you guys are buying together, forget about even giving you anything, that’s completely out of the question. There are people who take advantage of you like that, believe me when I say that.
In my opinion, the best way you can spend your money is in giving your money to a cause that you know will benefit others, otherwise, spending your money on anything that would develop you as a person or increase your “market-value” a.k.a employability and/or street smart capabilities is also a plus, and lastly, when spending money on people, I think there’s a scale and you have to be sure as to whom is on where.
It’s easy when you’re born rich, it’s tough if you’re not. It’s easy to see the cash in your bank account and it’s easier to spend it. But it’s hard to cherish and most people never remember the little things in life you do for them unless it’s material and make one little mistake and they hold it against you for the rest of your life. Money may not be important when you compare it to building lasting relationships. However, when what you have to give is taken for advantage, it’s not a really good feeling. Thence, it is important for you, to think about how you’d like to express your gratitude to someone. Because appreciation is not shown in merely one way, which is by giving out material things, but it can also be done in various ways and in this, creativity comes into play.
