Money & The Potentiality Of Extreme Minimalism. (2)
Some days back, I talked about the psychological reason behind extreme minimalism So, I'll narrate a personal experience. So I've needed a cooling system for a while because of the heat where I live.
Sometimes it gets as hot as 37 degrees and sometimes I fear the physiological damage it might cause since my health issues need me to maintain a balanced room temperature so as not to activate any health crises, although this is highly unlikely, but it's possible.
Now, I've chosen not to purchase any cooling system, so for four months I've been enduring the crazy heat, even when I can afford a fan and take care of my primary heat problem. It's easy to say I'm stingy when you're monitoring from afar off, but it's a different thing entirely.
Emergency Can Be Life-threatening, Before It's truly defined as one
Inasmuch as I have a heat problem. I still do not consider it an emergency.
This is because I can choose to bath to take care of the heat, I can choose to use the cooling system in the parlor, or I can even have the benefit of rain, which automatically reduces the heat for some time.
So because I have some solution to take care of my heat problem, rather than primarily attacking it by buying a fan, I choose to still take care of it through some secondary solutions, which might not do the job 100%.
Having a secondary option gives a lesser purpose to a primary option, this means that people pay attention to cheaper solutions and only go for costly options when it's the only option.
Solving Problems Shouldn't Be By Spending Alone
This is why we should be innovative
Now the main reason I didn't solve that problem the old-fashioned way (by spending money) is that I fear the financial emergency that might come from any unforeseen circumstances.
This means that I had the money to buy a fan, and I know the amount of money I needed to spend to take care of it. This problem falls under the category of a defined money problem.
The reason why I call it "defined" is that I know the cost, the impact it might leave on my bank account, and how I can potentially cope with not having that money anymore, especially after spending to buy the fan. But the problem is that I fear undefined money problems.
However Some problems come with the inevitability of spending
Knowing this helps you draw the line
of course, these problems are potential and not immediate, there are no secondary options to solving these problems other than throwing money at them.
Everyone wants to choose the easy way when it comes to decision-making. It's easier to throw money at problems that you can tackle with other non-monetary options, but the problem is, what if you spend all the money on problems that could be solved by choosing cheaper options, and there's no money to handle problems without alternative other than to spend big?
Having a medical emergency is one of such undefined money problems because you cannot potentially predict the extreme of a medical issue
It can be from just having a headache to being on life support, these problems have no cheap cost or alternative, and this is where we need to actually spend without thinking twice.
So these undefined possibilities can make people plan for uncertainties. This is why financial overthinkers are never caught off guard.
When you're a financial overthinker, you try to solve problems without choosing the easy way; money. In life, people choose to use money to do everything: form friendships, buy love, or even loyalty.
"Possibility" Is Always An Option, Despite The Chances Of "Unlikeliness"
However, when we begin to consider other options, of course, there's the possibility of the things I've talked about not happening, but what if they happen? If we cannot really answer the question, then that state of being unsure is the answer we need.
So I hardly berate people when they choose not to spend the money they have, because we can only know simplicity in stories like this and never truly understand what went down.
This is why I usually say that money is just a tool but people are the embodiment of ownership and value. In this aspect, there is no black and white here.
We will never have the answers to why people act uniquely towards money until we have experienced and lived the life of every single person on the planet and this is currently impossible
(PS: I've decided to buy the fan after spending four months to scrutinize the potential dent it might leave in my pocket, don't blame me, I'm a financial overthinker)
Interested in some more of my works?
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Money: The Consequences Of Making The Right & Wrong Decisions
The Nigerian Economy: Monopolizing Incompetence
The Experiential Process of Understanding Money
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A lot said here is very true. I do it too. Throwing money to problems should not be the first option. Even serious financial issues face a lot of scrutiny from me before i attend to them. The reason is simple - I spend money everyday given my position in the family. So anything that has a secondary solution which reduces spending would have to go in that direction. And sometimes i even look for a quick fix with stuffs i already own.
The other day, i forgot my fuel container which i took home from office. Instead of buying a new one which is easy across the road, i had to improvise since i have several many Eva water containers i disposed. That day, I saved an unnecessary expense.
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Well, I thought I was the only one who actually find ways to fix problems. I think that when you're a decision maker for a group of people just like your family, one always comes up with ways to cut cost.
That was genius what you did with the eva bottle. For me, I try to mostly spend less on transportation by trying to take a collective trip for things, rather then take single trips. Ultimately a car will be the best option for me.
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Owing to our current situation with the power system in Nigeria, having a electric powered cooling agents is never a solution because they are not reliable and powering them artificially is more costly and makes noise. Those ways mentioned remains the viable ways for cooling. Bathing, drinking, rains etc.
Fact! You are not stingy when thinking of emergencies and irregular inflow of income over daily expenses. There is no viable insurance scheme and governmental aids for health or other expenses of her citizen so when one priorities major things ahead of others is not stupid or stingy but financial wisdom
Man, being a financial overthinker will sure do you more good than harm. I mean, you're being careful, and that's a good thing. One cannot predict emergencies, and that's why they are named so.
I, on the other hand, tend to incline to use money to solve my problems. I like to find the easy way out. But really, the easy way out lands me in tough situations that eventually make things harder. I'm learning to do better.
The easy way out sometimes is just an illusion. When you find it difficult to make money, you'll find productive ways to solve problems without directly being an infringement to your pocket. Life is unpredictable, so we need to really prepare for the big emergencies, while hoping they never come, we cannot leave our life to chanciness.
I think we aren't all perfect, we only learn on the go.
I have learned an important lesson from this post because I do see money as the first respondent to problems and this doesn't give me the room to think about any other thing.
The truth is that there are really other ways to approach issues aside from throwing money into them as they appear.
Thank you for coming through. Well, we try to see money as the ultimate tool to solving problems, we just need to be creative especially if we can come up with other solutions.
Thank you. I'm afraid I have been one of the "throw money at it" people and I am recently learning it may be (counterintuitively) due to a scarcity mindset - it (money) will be scarce so when it is plentiful I should spend to get myself comfortable.
I am 40 years old and just now learning this about myself.
I admire your tenacity to hold out long enough to make the decision based on your experiences, instead of a knee jerk reaction of "I have money that can solve this" which again sounds counterintuitive but......here I am. 🤣🤣
I am not one of those people to throw money into things unless I have no choice and the consequences might be directly infringing on my health. Money can get scarce and when it does, it messes with our minds snd we begin to be impractical with almost everything we do. I'm 30 this year, and being someone who had known scarcity all their lives, I think I have found ways to solve some problems rather than having money do everything. Thanks for the lovely comment
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I very much appreciate learning about other perspectives. My childhood was (my impression) that my mom had the "depression era" mindset, as her parents were deeply involved that historical experience and so I always believed we were poor, but in retrospect hearing stories of others, we were probably lower middle class with a frugality mindset, and I am trying to control my own ADHD impulsivity in conjunction with the scarcity mindset which isn't accurate for me.
I am new to using Ecency to participate here but a "long" time reader of my hubby's homestead blog, still learning. Very much appreciate your sharing of your experience. 💖
I don't think minimalism is worth it if it hurts your health. Health is very important and I would not skimp out on the A/C when the temperature is too hot. Of course, I might limit how long it is on and other things like that but I just don't think it is worth it.
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It's definitely not worth it, if it affects one's health, but in my case, I had some natural options and it was because it wasn't sustainable that was why I decided to finally get a sustainable option. It's truly not worth it when it comes to health.
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It's good that you eventually bought the fan, prevention is always better than cure.
For me, I never seem to have enough money so money was always the last option when trying to solve this sort of situation. I'll first brainstorm for other ways to solve it apart from it. But it's a tricky situation because the unlikely isn't fully eliminated by a temporary fix.
There are always fixes for some certain situations, sometimes, there aren't. Just like you, I had to see money as the last solution because I didn't have it. When it comes to temporary fixes, they can't be that bad for everything. However it's important to discern the things that needs permanent fixing.
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Indeed, some fixings need to be permanent and they should be done as soon as possible because not fixing it at the onset could incur a higher cost in the future.
It reminds me of a bit of myself you know. I have an ulcer condition and I've been told time and again the importance of having snacks in between meals. Just make sure there's something in my system practically all the time.
But to even bring myself up to make food is a problem, I'd rather wait till I'm wheezing and on the brink of collapse before I get up to make something. That's on a lighter note anyway, but the point is there are some things that have other solutions and some that don't. Can you suggest another solution to mine?
Well when it comes to health issues, I think there should be "no holds barred". I'm practically living with one of the most intense health conditions ever and believe me, there's no substitute to getting better. That's the main point of this post. You just have to put in everything, all the effort and all when it comes to health because that's the biggest emergency of all.
On the flip side, cultivate a habit with falling in love with food, let it be bigger than your not wanting to get anything..
I got the picture that you're struggling with something intense. You seem to be coping with it just fine but I know it gets hard.
Sometimes the pain of the illness I face makes me wonder if it's all worth it.
But I would take you advice and cultivate the habit. Kind of hard but then again, I have you for daily encouragement.
Well, we all jeep up appearances, you know, just so everything looks and seem fine. I'll try to also say you should seek some ulcer medication it might help with the biting and nipping.
Of course, always. Let me know how it goes.
A more profound respect for you now cause if you didn't say it, I'd never have known. I hope things continue working well for you so it's not just an appearance of health but your actual reality.
I do have ulcer medications. And I'll do well to give you a feedback on my quest to loving food.🤗
Hahaha I guess no one looks what they're going through. But sometimes I tell people about my struggles just to feel alleviated as well as encourage them.
You can text me on discord whenever.
Yeah. It helps to talk about it with someone.
I'll definitely do that. You've proven to be a good friend today.
😂😂....I just love the last part, finally deciding to buy the fan,
🍻🍻Cheers to that
what difference would it had made if you purchase it long ago..🙄
Sorry I'm trying not to be judgemental here, 🙃
🙃
To me, there are issues I look at critically and I know that no matter what, I must have to take care of it, except I'm hoping for a miracle🙏 ....if not...it is what it is,
How about in that short run not purchasing the fan had some consequences on your health, 🤔🤔
then you would have spend more than you would have gotten rid of the situation by purchasing the fan...
I rather think it's risky on you....
What's ever it is please our health is paramount..cause. Without it we won't make the wealth or enjoy it as we should...
Just on a lighter mood!!!
Thanks for the enlightenment
Thanks for looking at the other side. The reason why I didn't buy it earlier was because I was waiting for the rainy season to come fully and also to see if after the rainy season the market would have changed tremendously and I'll have gotten a quality fan. So it's all part of the waiting game. But the proper rainy season hasn't started in April, (which is unusual) so I bought a very cheap fan which wasn't what I wanted
Alright...take care of yourself
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Haha you bought the fan in the end.. I have also been scrutinizing a big spend recently for a few months. Do I need it? Are there alternatives? Etc..
I also think buying things generally will not bring you long term happiness, just a short adrenaline boost before it wears off. Wealth is measured in what you can buy, but don't.
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