Assalammualaikum and good day to my beloved family, friends and readers. In today's world, I was once asked, can we even live without any debts to anyone? From bank loans to personal debts among friends and family, many of us are surrounded by financial obligations that we wouldn't know where to even begin to describe them. Yes, before anyone tries to get the wrong impression of the term debt from today's topic, I am here to discuss the issue of financial debts and not personal favors (in debt to someone etc).
Well, first off, I would love to say that, we all live in a materialistic world today. Just look around us and we'll see that, people are judged by their clothing, the car they drive, the houses they live in and even up to a certain extend, these rules are being made popular in restaurants, hotels and even shops. People with Calvin Klein's suits, DnG handbags, Rolexs, these people, who drive around in their Porsche and Ferrari are usually considered 'made' nowadays and some envy them and try to portray them.
'Ukur baju di badan sendiri' is the Malay proverb that I would love to quote today, which could be translated as, measure your clothes according to one's size. In this proverb, we are reminded to live within our means. For example, if one earns RM 2500, do live within the budget of RM 2000. Save RM 500 for a rainy day or perhaps for a future investment (which is also an interesting theme which I would love to discuss in a later post).
Trouble arises when one choose to portray otherwise. We buy stuff we don't need, to proof, we are made. We spend unwisely and splurge on stuffs that at the end of the day just sit in our storage or are thrown away. Why do we do these things? Is there anything wrong with living within our means? Why do at the end of the day, we spend more than what we earn?
It's easy for anyone to obtain credit cards nowadays. Buying stuff on borrowed money is really fun isn't it? You buy first and you pay later. The epidemic about credit cards are, we can't really control ourselves and up to a point, we tend to swipe for everything there is. Have we no control over the Devil's temptations? Oh by the way, I'm really not saying that it's bad to have one, but instead how one uses it. Gun doesn't kill people, the person behind the gun does the killing. If you can't manage a gun without killing anyone, then don't use it. That's all I'm saying. =)
Though one might say it's hard with all of today's demands such as the importance of having a car, a house, marriage, children, entertainment and almost everything else, I would love to ask you to first ask oneself, how do we manage our money? Which are the important ones and which aren't? Do we really need a big house? A sports car? Branded clothing? All I'm saying here is, if we can afford it go ahead. No one is there to stop you but if you can't why not live within your means? Please don't misinterpret me here by saying, living within our means meaning just be happy the way things are and you don't progress further. The Almighty also have asked us (His servants), to work hard and do our very best in life. I'm glad my mother has taught me well. Quoting her, "Awwir... rezeki, jodoh pertemuan, hidup dan mati semua di tangan Dia. But if you want something, there are two things you must do. Berusaha dan berdoa. InsyaAllah dimakbulkan.". The lesson in life that I would love to share today is actually, live within our means. There is nothing wrong with being frugal as long as you don't be too stingy. =)
We can make a difference. =) If I've left out anything, do share your knowledge, in hope we all could learn a thing or two. InsyaAllah.
cheerios,
Munawwir Khan Yusoff Khan
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