Is making money difficult? Questions like this often appear on social media forums. According to a recent online survey with 1,000 participants, about 80% believe that making money is a difficult task, 15% think it is normal, and only 5% believe that making money is not too hard. Among those who answered that making money is difficult, the majority are young people who have to borrow money from friends and banks to cover their living expenses and educational costs. About 80% of these individuals are carrying a large debt. The reality shows that those struggling with difficult debts are also the ones feeling insecure about their future.
However, those who often boast about their wealth may not be truly wealthy. Conversely, some people who occasionally lament their poverty may not be as poor as they claim. Andrew Hallam, a Canadian teacher working at an international school in Singapore, is a typical example. In his early years of work, he was almost suggested by colleagues to contribute to charity because they thought he lived too poorly, but by the age of 30, Andrew had become a millionaire through wise investments. He shared his story in a bestselling book, where he revealed the secrets to wealth and experiences with people who pretend to be wealthy. When he was a student, Andrew tutored a wealthy family in Singapore. The couple lived in a luxurious villa and owned expensive sports cars.
After a month of tutoring, he saw the wife, adorned with jewelry, talking about a trip to Hawaii while handing Andrew a check for his payment, but Andrew was not interested in listening to those boastful stories; what mattered to him was the check. After work, he immediately rode his bike to the bank to cash the check but was extremely disappointed to find out that the check could not be cashed because the couple's account balance was zero. When he angrily called to ask, the wife apologized to Andrew, saying they had a large debt that they had not yet paid off and hoped he would understand their situation. Living a lavish lifestyle to cover up financial shortcomings may satisfy their vanity but leads to self-deception and deceiving those around them. Generally, the more someone lacks something, the more they tend to boast to compensate. Pretending to be wealthy not only deceives others but also harms oneself. A wise person knows how to live within their means and act within their capabilities.
Life Needs Balance
Life needs balance; if you do not save, you will worry about lacking money to cope with unexpected risks. In the popular Chinese drama "One Year Without a Job," the main character Jeju is a young girl who resigned from her stable job to pursue her own dreams. After becoming unemployed, she had just paid off her car loan when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The surgery costs over 100,000 yuan, equivalent to about 343 million VND, which is clearly too difficult for Jeju. At this time, being unemployed, her account balance was not enough to cover her mother's life-saving surgery. When her father learned of the high cost, he suggested to his wife to discharge herself from the hospital because he did not want to burden his daughter, but Jeju firmly disagreed. She said she would sell her newly bought car to pay for her mother's treatment; this tragic story is perhaps not uncommon in real life. When we are working and have money, we often only think about shopping and enjoying life. It is only when we face urgent difficulties that we regret not saving. The mental decline of adults often begins with a lack of money. Those who do not have enough money to cope with health risks or accidents can easily fall into despair.
If you walk around hospitals, you will see many families having to give up and go home because they cannot afford the medical fees. Visiting remote mountain villages, you will realize how many children have to drop out of school due to their family's difficult circumstances. Therefore, the small amounts of money you save each day will be the best protection against risks. Do not think that saving money is shameful; lacking money is what truly causes suffering. The writer Oscar Wilde once said, "When I was young, I thought money was unimportant, but when I grew older, I realized I was wrong; money is indeed very important." In fact, a person who knows how to save is investing in their future. Conversely, a person without the discipline to save is borrowing from the future; a truly capable person not only knows how to make money but also knows how to save money. The famous book "The Millionaire's Secret" by American author Stanley recounts the story of when he interviewed a millionaire businessman.
After the interview, the wealthy millionaire invited Stanley to dinner, but instead of taking everyone to a luxurious restaurant, he chose a humble eatery. This surprised Stanley greatly; why would such a successful wealthy person choose to eat at a cheap place? The millionaire explained that both he and his wife graduated from the top 20 universities but did not need to flaunt their status through their dining choices. Like many other wealthy individuals, they live simply, frugally, and patiently save money. They do not care what others think of them; true wealth is not about luxury and waste but about the ability to accumulate every small coin persistently. It is easy to go from saving to spending, but it is extremely difficult to go from spending back to saving. Those who spend excessively will ultimately be enslaved by money; only those who continuously save will achieve financial freedom. Life is unpredictable; saving is also a life skill that needs to be cultivated. There is a saying that money is a good slave but a bad master. Therefore, you need to apply three methods to help you keep money in your pocket.
Live Simply and Spend Wisely
The desire to spend is like the ocean; the more you spend, the more you crave to spend more. To save more money, adults need to know how to restrain and reduce excessive consumer desires. Those who are not financially worried are also those who know how to plan their spending wisely. In the famous book "The Secret of the Millionaire Mind," the author shared the view that to control cash flow, you must know how to manage it scientifically. In life, it is important to cut unnecessary expenses, only buy what you truly need, and save the remaining money. If you know how to spend reasonably, you will surely achieve financial stability and feel safer in the future.
Reduce Low-Quality Socializing and Improve Yourself
There is a wise saying that you should work hard to earn your own living; do not let your feelings and life depend on the money of others. Increasing income is the most direct and effective way to improve life. Instead of spending time on social relationships to feel your status, you should focus more on training and improving yourself. Spending on useless entertainment or for people who are not truly important will not bring you any practical benefits. Only by diligently striving to train and enhance your abilities can your income increase. For example, instead of spending 3 million VND each month on useless drinking parties with friends, you could use that time to learn a new skill or enroll in an advanced course. As a result, your income could increase by 5 to 10 million VND per month, thus you are both working hard and saving costs while gaining additional income; that is the smart way of living for adults.
Learn to Save Regularly
Someone asked online, "How can an ordinary person survive in today's fierce competitive society?" The most liked answer was to learn how to save money and continue to work hard. Just a few short words clearly express the struggles of many adults. The secret is to keep track of your spending to determine what your real needs are. Then regularly set aside a small amount of money into a savings account; after a while, you will see that money gradually accumulates, helping to dispel financial worries. If you do not plan your finances carefully, you will find it hard to have enough money to cope with risks. Therefore, learn how to save money; the saved coins are your shield. Learning to save will help you avoid financial risks; no one will mock you for living frugally; they will respect you for knowing how to plan your finances for the future. Do not let difficult days come and find yourself passive; having money in hand but little desire to spend wastefully is a noble trait of an adult. I hope you know how to spend money wisely and save discreetly. You will surely be surprised by the effectiveness that the habit of saving brings.