Mind Your Own Pockets
Have you ever had people in your life ask why you do certain things with your own money? They may ask questions or make such comments as the following:
Why are you buying that?
I wouldn’t buy that.
That is a waste of money!
You shouldn’t waste your money on that!
Why would you buy something so expensive?
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people make it their business to dictate what happens with someone else’s money. When you tell someone that something is a waste of money, who exactly are you referring to? You mean that it is a waste of money for you, but apparently it is not a waste of money for them.
I have found that when people cannot afford something, one of the first things that they say is “that’s too expensive,” or “I would never pay that much for that,” or “that’s a waste of money.” For the person purchasing the item, trip, experience and so on, it is not too expensive, they would absolutely pay that much for that, and it is not a waste of money.
I understand that money is a sensitive topic for many people, and it is inevitable that people will often offer unsolicited advice about money, and what they deem to be “responsible” when it comes to money. But let’s be honest here. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. For example, most people would agree that we should invest some of our money. But you will always have people that have something to say about a particular investment such is “it’s too risky,” or “you should invest in A and not B,” and so on.
A few years ago, a friend of mine and her husband decided to hire a full-time housekeeper and nanny, and you can already guess what happened. Several people had plenty to say about it. She heard things such as “getting a housekeeper / nanny is a waste of money,” “you don’t need a nanny,” and “you can clean your own house.” She heard it all. I was annoyed for her because in my mind I was thinking why is everyone in her wallet? Sounded a lot like jealousy to me. Who are you to tell someone that they do not need something whether that be a housekeeper, nanny, and so forth?
She chose to get a housekeeper / nanny for a number of reasons none is which is anyone’s business. And most of the people that had something to say could never afford what she and her husband can afford. I say all that to say, stay out of other people’s pockets. Just because you don’t have the funds to do something doesn’t mean that they don’t.
It is important to remember that everyone’s financial situation is unique, and what works for you, or what you deem expensive may not be the case for them, especially considering that what we look at as expensive is subjective. When you try to tell someone else what to do with their money, it can come across as extremely patronizing, even if you believe that your intentions are good. So ultimately, mind your own pockets, and remember that people have the right to make their own choices with their money.
