The Discreet Charm of Thrift

Working and saving – two values that should, at least in theory, determine our prosperity. Reality, however, has its twists. I know lucky, rich devils who found their wealth on different paths, often far removed from any actual work, as well as modest, quite impecunious souls, though thrifty beyond any doubt. All the same, I shall stand by my belief that it is the knowledge that you have acquired all your possessions through your own effort that gives you a true joy from possession. Inherited property has value, yet the satisfaction it offers is indeed quite superficial. It is better to be the one who scores the goal, or at least provides the assist, than to enjoy your team’s victory from the bench.

What remains beyond dispute, however, is that you need to know how to manage any assets you possess. All the errors committed in this area tend to come back and give you a painful bite.

I inherited both a strong work ethic and a deep respect for thrift from my family home. My childhood strongly determined my personality and character. No textbook, however bestselling, and no superstar lecturer, however popular, will ever instil us with fundamental values. And yet these are what we must hold firmly onto before we even start grappling with the imperfections, temptations, and illusions this life treats us to. That’s why I keep harping on about the significance of solid foundations. What good is a house with no stable and solid foundations? There’s no planning for the future without those.

Being careful with money is not the same as stinginess. Thrift is a virtue, whereas stinginess has all the symptoms of a malady. The boundary between the two may be hazy and easily blurred, which is why you should carefully examine your conduct and that of the people you deal with. You can rely on a thrifty person, but never on a miser.
Stinginess can be defined as excessive prudence or thrift gone too far, yet I see certain nuances here. Thrift, even radical, proves your skill to see things the way they are and think prospectively, while stinginess is only fixated on possessions and the fear that you might lose even a scrap of your resources. A miser won’t look to the future, being only interested in what they have here and now. In future, they will be the perfectly sane penny-pinchers they are today.

On one side of the map is economy, while the other is the realm of excess sprawl. The first may seem uninviting, even if it is neatly ordered and relatively safe. The other is unhinged wildness, panache, and fantasy. Even if the first road does not exactly resemble a motorway, the second is certain to take you down a blind alley.
Compulsive shopping is a modern affliction. Shopping can become something you luxuriate in, turning it into a sort of thrilling sport or a pleasing pastime. It often starts out innocently, without any real hint that a genuine disorder has set in. The trouble starts when the urge to possess takes the upper hand over a judicious mind and you begin to live above your means. Permanent overdraft, taking out loans, and locking yourself in a vicious circle, just because you need to have it!

Someone came up with a rather sound method for treating shopaholics. All you have to do is subject the object of your desire to the test of time. If, after a few days, not having it has caused no significant changes in your life, that can only mean one thing: you never needed it in the first place.
Knowing how to manage your resources must go hand-in-hand with the skill of time management.
Years ago, I had a tennis court at home. Even though it was well maintained, its surface was never quite right. I rolled it in vain every other day – it was still unfit for a single proper game. Fed up, I called expert tennis groundsmen. “Do you roll your court?” a male voice on the other end asked. “Of course I do!”.
“And how much do you play on it?” It took me a second to answer, even if there was nothing to calculate. “I don’t. Not at all. I have no time.”
“You have no time… there you are, there’s your reason. A tennis court must be used, otherwise it’s no good to anybody.”

No good to anybody. Precisely.

Work and thrift got me that tennis court. And, in an ironic twist, the same work and thrift, this time being thrifty with time, prevented me from using it.
Workaholism is worse than just gambling health. If you look at it more broadly, it is a dangerous game messing with your future. Time doesn’t just heal wounds, sometimes it protects you by not letting them be dealt in the first place. This happens when we can find time for ourselves and our loved ones, when we know how to use it well.
Enjoying the fruit of your work and the saved resources is essential for maintaining balance. Saving is no art for art’s sake. It’s a way of looking into the future – a distance greater than the length of the table we have just sat at.
It is important to play the hand we’ve been dealt well. Given your cards, you need to arrange them neatly: left to right, nines to aces. Know what counts most, and what matters just a little less.