For young people, INVESTMENT is such a big word to understand. “What would that do to make us HAPPY?”
Well, “Yuppies” usually take this for granted, or in some cases, they consider this, but not something URGENT. Investment is all about URGENCY, if the opportunity is there, you cannot just let it pass and decide whenever because you are definitely losing what it offers best. But what can we expect from them? They are near sighted when it comes to future visions, and they set their goals on a short term basis. We really couldn’t blame them on this, this is where maturity comes in.
Young professionals, who are relatively earning if not sufficient more than enough to support their needs, are the ones who needs the most guidance from adults, or mentors, most especially when it comes to financial discipline. This may come out as a very serious topic to discuss, but nonetheless, important, and time is of most consideration.
There are lots of ways to start this kind of financial management training, and you can start as early as the kid understands currency. Let me share you a personal story of mine, how i started to learn the importance of money and how hard it is earned.
When i was 10 years old, my mom started to teach me how to earn money,but of course she didn’t force me to go scrub the floors or whatever. One morning, She started cooking hot dogs on buns and burgers, and while wrapping she said,”darling, i believe its time you should help me earn money, bring these yummy food to school and when its your snack time, go sell it to your friends.” She was smiling while saying this, though clueless, i was cooperative. So without worrying much of being humiliated, as soon as the bell rang, i took out my sandwiches and started asking my friends if they want to buy from me. Going home, i ran to my mom and hugged her tightly and handed her all the money.
My mom handed me some change with a smile and said, “honey, this is what you earned from our business.”
I never enjoyed business so much, that in a very young age, i continued selling buns and added new more products and this went on till i was in college. My mom never gave me more than what i need. She gives me allowances just enough for a week. And as part of her training, aside from the money i am earning from our small business, she finally decided to hand me my full weeks allowance and let me budget it for myself. It was exciting at first, having that much money on hand, but thinking of how it will last me my week is hard. Canteens are temptations and as i was growing, there seems to be more things that i wanted than needed. Yet, with my moms guidance, i was able to save for Christmas and for things i want to buy without asking from them. When i reached college, nothing changed but just got better, i started helping my mom earning for my tuition fee. Believe it or not, i earned that much to pay for my school.
I knew since then, my future will always have “sales” in it and most importantly, “saving and investment.”
Having financial responsibilities early in life, regardless if its circumstantial or by choice, makes a person better in life. Financial responsibilities teaches us to make priorities and focus more on whats needed. One of the things that financial responsibilities imparts is the knowledge and openness on the idea of what “INVESTMENT” is all about. Being a young professional, perceptions of the future is quite blurred by unnecessary expenses and seemingly important “financial burdens.” I have learned from a very good mentor of mine, from a book he gave me to read, it talks about the differences between, spending, saving and investing. Having my first job and knowing the basics of money management, my perception of it is just SAVE and SAVE and SAVE. Which is by the way not a bad idea at all. But i was quite in a clueless state for a while after finishing the book and realizing, i could have been doing it the wrong way. Being young and having been to my 2nd job at that time, i was pretty much convinced that saving was the best plan of action. And that book indeed opened my eyes to a much better option, which is “INVESTMENT.”
Life is all about risk right? But those risks serves as your doors to better opportunities in life. The hardest and toughest roads offer the best finish lines. So you have to start altering your psyche and have a very significant paradigm shift. You have to entertain the thought that no good or better things will come your way if you keep on staying behind the lines, waiting for opportunities to come. Investment, is putting your hard earned money where it would grow. Well, this doesn’t come as easy, of course, for your money to grow, it has to be somewhere, where there are risks. Again, risks are equivalent to opportunities whether you win or lose, you just have to have properly guided decision making in investment, to make sure you are indeed making a good one. And one of the best ingredient of investment, is TIME. If you want opportunities coming your way faster, you have to act faster. Investment’s key partner is TIME.
I might be too young to be talking about investment and its fundamentals, but I guess being young and talking about it will somehow awaken the hearts and mind of young people like me who are struggling financially. I’ve done a very good job starting it early on, the moment i realized its impact in my family’s life and mine.