Well. People splurge. They indulge. And I am of the strong opinion that it is always good to enjoy in whatever you have rather than hoarding up your stocks for no reason at all. Life is too fickle to plan and save up for something to be enjoyed later on. Ofcourse, it doesn’t mean that saving is bad. Saving is good ofcourse. But there is a limit on the amount and the duration for which you are planning to do the same. And the resultant effect it has on your life then. You can’t be living like a beggar your whole life just because you have to save up for like a car. You save a little little over a period of time, and then the result is that you have accumulated quite a sum of money.

In the meantime, you can cut down on your luxuries. But you can’t and shouldn’t do away with the bare necessities of life. That is just stupidity, and here you cross the line of miserliness. It makes no sense to live in rags when you can afford a lot better.

Enjoyment and happiness can be bought to a certain extent with the help of money in today’s world atleast. The line money can buy a house but not a home (and the continued poetic lines) is a little passé now. With a little money you can have that international cuisine you always wanted to try out, the t-shirt or the tracks you always wanted to own, though it may be a little heavy on your pocket. You can gather together over a cuppa coffee, or a quick bite. All in all, to help yourself for a little smile, a little spending does help.

But the point is when people go overboard, and start comparing the amount spent with their standard of living. Like travelling by auto rickshaws or taxis, tipping heavily at restaurants, hosting extravagant parties and adopting comfort before practicality.

I know tonnes of people, who will always opt for a taxi/rickshaw over a bus, for the same distance travelled. Why? It makes no sense. Is it just because you have to wait for 5 mins for the bus to arrive, or have to walk to and fro the bus stop? Or is it because someone will see you in the bus and call you a cheap stake or something like that? Because that shouldn’t be the case. It costs about 5 times lesser. And it’s a lot more fun in a bus than in a rick.

Similarly, always booking an A/C compartment in a train, even for a short distance and even during winters, or travelling by luxury coaches which take way longer to reach the desired destination and are horribly congested. And they cost like twice as much. You don’t get to enjoy the scenic beauty outside due to the tinted glasses, and can do nothing but stare at the stupid movie put up in the bus, or listen to bizarre music.

Again, on similar lines, many a times, the distance is really walkable, but just because you are so uptight, you opt to travel by car or any other fuelled vehicle. I am not suggesting that this is wrong, and at times ‘time’ is really more important, but when it isn’t, atleast then should one think about these small things. We talk about saving fuel all the time. Why not start it off from here? Plus you get that free exercise, which can save you quite a lot because you will be fit and healthy, due to which you will never feel the need to join a gymnasium or go to a doctor for a treatment or so, both of which are very costly and the costs go higher, proportionally with health status.

Then comes the point about having meals. At times, we should be ready to go hungry, if need be. It causes you no harm if you don’t have a meal for a day. Just drink a little milk, or a juice, or even water can suffice. But you shouldn’t be like I have to have that meal or else I will die. Nothing happens. Believe me. You don’t even feel faint. On the contrary, you feel a lot lighter and fresher. Or do with some make shift food. Like just a toast sandwich and tea, or a bowl of rice, a bowl of cereal and or milk. Instead, people go for ordering a pizza, going out for dinner and the likes.

Try living the stringent way. Keep a check on yourself and decide if every penny you spend is really worth the returns. When on a spree, don’t hold back at all. Spend like there is never a tomorrow. Get it out of your system. But otherwise, stay like that intelligent spender. Keep like a note of how and when you spend. It will help you in crunch times, when god forbid there may seriously be a money shortage in your life, and you have to like make do with ‘x’ sum of money for ‘y’ days (where x/y is very very less than the amount spent everyday at an average).

All in all, you needn’t be stingy to save money. Act intelligently, and you will be in a position to face any situation a lot better, atleast financially.