The cartoon by Michael Leunig illustrates very well about how we, humans, have tendency to focus on financial well-being. We ask it many times through many ways. We pray to ask for more money. We protest to the government to do their obligations to guarantee our welfares. We teach our descendants about how to earn much money. We nurture things for money [e.g: fishes and plants]. Many authors proclaim that they know the rules to get more money within ‘short time’. Some illegal opportunists use this as their base to lie to others through their non-existed business. Well, none of those actions is wrong, except the last one. Before we start, please note that I am also being the part of that group, I did, am doing and will do, especially the part of being a demonstrant of particular system.
Let’s talk about it a little bit further.
Since I was a girl, I understood the importance of money. That with money we can buy things that we like. I am not from a rich family who can travel overseas easily, my parents even couldn’t [and I think they wouldn’t too] buy me Dr.Martens’ shoes. Even for Barbie, I had three Barbie dolls. One was from Sinterklaas, and other two from my mother. I’ve got those after years. I think that I’ve asked for those dolls because I want to understand why my friends love to play with those things. And also might because I’ve learned quickly the sense of competition? No idea, but the result is clear. I am a little bit different compares to other girls. I don’t enjoy on any role-play games, including with the dolls or other pretending games [mother wanna be, tea gathering].
During my teenage years, I learn more about the role of money in daily life. I had to use public transportation, manage my pocket money so those would enough. Well, I also consider myself as a quite extravagant person, in my way. I spent more money on transportation. I don’t like to get wet by sweat especially when I have to start the day [so I prefer to use a taxi when my father was not in the city]. But, I also didn’t like to follow the trend in fashion. I am totally a nerd with that.
Growing older, I more than realized the importance of money. During the young adulthood period, through the expensive fee of higher education, I really had to manage my financial condition. Searched and applied for academic’s financial aid and got one. My parents were still supported my tuition, but I used the aid as an allowance for other expenses such as bought books, copied the books or others, bought rewards for field research and so on.
After graduated, first salary had seems to be the measurement of success amongst colleagues. I didn’t like it actually, as I don’t think that way. Yet, I shared with my closest friends just as an illustration, because I was lucky enough to got a job earlier. When I was an employee in a marketing-consultant, as the name states itself, profit is the measurement of achievement. Including when I worked at an international organization, the first thing that many people said would be ‘wow, you must earn much money’. And I found it a bit annoying. Due to this situation, I am always be cautious whenever people ask for information to get a job in similar organizations like what I’ve got.
As I am growing older, money is almost be a major theme. I need and look after that paper thing. I am struggling to earn money to cover my daily expenditures. With a hope that someday I am able to cover my parents’. Sometimes, I got anxious how to get more money as the expenditures are growing nuts! How to reach what marketing people named as a ‘financial freedom’?
But, whenever I get my sense back, I am realized that it is a useless point. I know myself better. I know that I am not a kind of person who can let people ‘buy my soul’. At least, until now [and hopefully for the future], I am able to stand with that kind of belief. It doesn’t mean that I don’t need any job or work or even money. It just, I couldn’t do things that in contrary with what I believe, even if it is legal. It does not mean that I choose idealism more than money.
I claim proudly that I want to be rich with integrity.
Well, it is a happy-meal-package, isn’t it?!
By rich, I don’t mean to have a luxurious mansion with Ferrari as my car. By rich I mean that I have money to be spent on daily needs, have a house, have a car, have money to be spent on travelling, but still have good savings with good investments. Well, still far from that goal.
While I believe that money does important, but I argue that it should be our goal. While I believe that savings and investments do important, but I argue that the financial freedom is just an imagination.
Why I dare to say that financial freedom is only an imagination? Let us be honest to ourselves. Do we ever really feel that what we have earned are enough? Do we ever stop comparing our earnings with others? Do we never envy others who have newer high-technology mobile phones or cars or even fabulous clothes? Do we ever stop complaining our situation even though we have more than enough food to eat, more hygiene water to drink? Therefore, here, I argue that financial freedom is not a state of reality but a state of mind. We would be considered ourselves have that kind of freedom when we do think and feel that we are happy with what we have. That we keep on working hard but do not put the money as the goals. That we work not because of the money, but for the life that we have which obviously need money. Not the other round, we work because of the salary to get a life.
We already have our life. The Almighty grants us that breathe and ages. So, it is nonsense that we need the money to get a life. We need money because we need it to support our live. Tricky isn’t it??!!
There are parents who keep on busy all the time, all days in the year. They missed their children’s important events, with professionalism as the justification. They would say ‘we work for you, so you can go to school and buy the toys’. I do not doubt that intention. But let us see it closer. Do the children get happier whenever the parents provide trucks full of toys to be played? Do the parents really happy with what they did? Somehow, I think that words were only a justification to avoid the guilty feeling.
I can understand that sometimes we couldn’t choose the situation. I have experienced that. When I had to work on weekends, when I had to sleep in the office instead of went home. I did not regret that decision, except the fact that I’ve been told a lie about the deadline. What I mean is not to be a lazy employee. But I think we should differentiate which one is more important. When we have to stay late in the office occasionally, then be it. When we have work harder than others due to the high competition, then do it. But, should we spend three weekends or even two in a month to do that? Are there chances that we could do those things at home so we could do it at night and not missing the family time? And so many more.
Well, if I could humanize a company, then I would see it as an opportunist. It will ask as much as it can, pay as less as it can. It goes for the most efficient plans, more benefit and less cost. And it just how it goes. Nothing wrong with that as long as they respect the rules and regulations. All companies are opportunists, in fact, this is an opportunist world. The difference lays on the level, there are companies that more or less opportunists. [If you carefully read this post, then you'll find out that I am also an opportunist].
So, let’s make a happier life.
Be free from unreasonable goals. Get a sense that family is more important that money. To have a happy family does need money to support the members, but money couldn’t buy the time that you’ve spent with them especially to be the witness of your children’s life achievements. Work diligently. Spend time with precious people instead of staying late in office. Stop worrying too much about that numbers. Start to spend wisely, as what I’ve got reminded by Scot Pape, the Barefoot Investor. Apply the good time management. Get a life!!
I really hope that my beloved ones and me are able to achieve those goals.
totally agree with ur point here, cil… n another good written posting u have
Quoting from ur writing : “Since I was a girl, I understood the importance of money.”
jadi ingin bertanya, kenapa krn sbg perempuan maka elo mengerti pentingnya peranan uang? apakah artinya kalo elo laki-laki tidak akan memahami peranan uang spt yg elo alami sekarang? *just wondering…
mmg banyak kalangan sdh salah kaprah ttg uang itu, mjd tujuan hidup. apalg kalo akirnya mengorbankan kasih sayang ke anak mereka… its very tragic 4me…dats why gw sampe skarang memilih utk be a part timer (di berbagai pekerjaan) so i wouldnt miss precious moment of my child growth…
O salah tangkap La. Maksudku cuma sekedar pointing bahwa waktu ku kecil dulu, tapi secara saya perempuan, jadi pake girl. HeHeHe…
Yes, you should see yourself as a lucky person La. Although I totally agree that people have the freedom to choose, not every of us really get it. So you must be so grateful and proud
*btw, cepet amat, blom juga aku publish di facebook
yang dibilang “freedom” disini itu definisinya kayak apa dulu. kalo gw bilang sih financial freedom itu tetep perlu, freedom dari bantuan orang lain alias charity.
udah gede gini masa masih nadah. freedom bagi gw bukan dalam artian psikologis doang sih, tapi berarti gw bisa bayar sewa apartemen sendiri, bayar listrik sendiri, beli makan sendiri, beli baju sendiri dst.
in a way, aku mengartikannya sebagai good money management. kalo ngartiin financial freedom dari yang muluk2 juga kayanya sampe kapan ya ga bakal kesampain secara manusia itu maunya banyak
sayangnya indonesia itu masih kaya gitu lingkungannya – materialistis. setelah gw pindah kmari, gw baru melihat gimana sih makmur tanpa harus mewah. mana ada orang sini yang punya blackberry, contohnya. nokia butut pun banyak yang pegang
tas bermerk bukan salah satu kebutuhan, dan nggak ada yang perduli gitu loh kalaupun lu beli barang mahal.
the good thing about danes (prob the only nice thing I could say about them
) is that they don’t judge you based on how much money you make or based on how flashy you look like – yang kebanyakan terjadi di indonesia.
jangankan di indonesia, gw dateng ke acara KBRI pake celana pendek aja diliatin dari atas kepala sampe ujung kaki secara yang lain jewelry nya nggak ngalahin orang madura or jay-z. bling2 gitu lho bok.
nah sekian sih pendapat saya. semoga berkenan *halah*
good point ‘va. tapi yang aku maksudkan tentu financial freedom dalam konteks yang digembar-gemborkan para motivator dan kawan-kawan itu. bukannya menolak konsepnya, tapi kok rasanya harus mengejar kekayaan tak terbatas gituh. well, siapa sih yang tidak mau punya hal seperti itu, tapi kalau harus mengorbankan kehidupan yang sesungguhnya kan aneh banget. ya ga sih?
kalau soal kebebasan dari charity dan orang tua dalam konteks membiayai diri sendiri tentu aku sangat setuju. seperti yang aku bilang “I am struggling to earn money to cover my daily expenditures. With a hope that someday I am able to cover my parents’”.
soal materialisme dan konsumerisme, rasanya itu terjadi gak cuma di indonesia ya ‘va. kalau aku perhatiin disini, yang lebih sering belanja-belanju itu malah banyakan orang asia. hihihi… kalau ga mereka ya paling orang expatriate non-asia gitu. well, ga masalah sih kalau emang duit itu hasil jerih payah sendiri.. dan aku rasa orang australian juga punya gaya hedonisnya sendiri. karena kemarenan melihat iklan sosial mengenai hal seperti itu, jadi ada yang membeli wine di restoran mewah lalu tulisannya ‘two weeks salary’.
kalau di dunia yang sistem jaminan sosialnya sudah ok, walaupun tetap diprotes ama warga negara setempat, tapi perbedaan kelas sosialnya tidak terlalu tinggi seperti di negara berkembang. gaji supir bis disini aja praktis setara ama yang kantoran, bahkan bisa lebih besar. di sisi lain, kemungkinan untuk jadi orang kaya besar di negara berkembang lebih memungkinkan. wikikiki…
*tentu berkenan… [gaya pejabat amat bahasanya :p ]*
ya ya ya….
dimengerti sudut pandangmu. makanya kapan hari aku sempat merasa tak enak dengan plurk si tante yang menggembar gemborkan hedonisme nya atas nama biaya suami…hihihi..
seperti katamu juga, ya okelah kalo jerih payah sendiri, kalo nggak, males dengerinnya
soal orang indonesia yang materialistis, mungkin kamu benar, bukan indonesia aja tapi mungkin rata rata orang asia materialistis, apa ini karena kekuatan ekonomi baru (alias orang kaya baru? Yang tadinya nggak mampu (karena dijajah bangsa2 eropa) lalu sekarang ekonominya maju pesat trus masuklah ke era konsumerisme.
Untuk negara maju, memang betul kalau disini beda gaji itu nggak terlalu signifikan. tukang sampah disini pun bisa liburan ke Bali setahun sekali, contohnya. Tapi aku nggak setuju dengan “kemungkinan untuk jadi orang kaya di negara berkembang lebih besar”
entah ya kalau di ostrali secara aku nggak ngerti tata sosialnya bagaimana, tapi kalau disini, jadi orang kaya itu nggak mungkin walau gajinya rata-rata mirip2 dan berlipat2 dibanding gaji orang indonesia DAN orang sini nggak materalistis.
kenapa? karena biaya hidup disini juga besar – itu udah mengimbangi standar nilai gaji disni dibanding di jakarta. kedua, disini pajaknya teramat sangat tinggi, boleh say goodbye lah untuk separuh gaji, jadi gimana mau jadi kaya?
akibatnya ya jadi middle class terus, nggak pernah naik, dan (amit amit!) nggak pernah turun. Ya mungkin ini tujuan pemerintah dari negara maju ya supaya warganya rata. tapi ini juga di Eropa yang notabene sistemnya sosialisme, nggak kaya Amerika (atau mungkin Ostrali?) yang kapitalis.
soal tante itu mah tak perlu dibahas lagi. setuju mutlak saya :p
tapi kok aku jadi bingung. wahahaha..
aku kan bilangnya “kemungkinan untuk jadi orang kaya di negara berkembang lebih besar”. bukan di negara maju loh ‘va… denmark termasuk negara maju kan ya?
karena ya faktor yang kamu bilang itu. lebih sulit untuk menerjang batasan ‘garis kesejahteraan standard’ di negara maju. karena sistem proteksinya memang menyebabkan lebih ’setara’. walau tidak berarti tidak ada milyader ya disini, tapi kalau dilihat kesenjangannya ya praktis ga ada kalau dibandingkan dengan di indonesia.
tau sendiri di indo gimana… [dan aku rasa negara asia lainnya, apalagi india].
wakakaka maap saya salah mengerti kalo gitu. maklum, ngantuk waktu baca.
setuju kalau negara berkembang.
Waktu gue baca judulnya, gue langsung *aaah musti nyampah lagi nih* huahahaha. Gue setuju kalo financial freedom itu cuma imajinasi aja. (Financial freedom yang ada di kepala gue = “let money come to you – not the other way around” type thing, btw – mudah2an sama).
Menurut gue yang penting adalah bersyukur! What have been given to you are what you need. Banyak orang berandai2 kalo mereka naik gaji, menang lotto, atau dapet lump sum of money dari sumber manapun juga – meyakini kalo mereka bakal bisa memanage uangnya dengan lebih baik, bebas hutang, bisa ini bisa itu etc. Menurut gue, kalo sampe itu terjadi sama mereka, kebutuhan mereka juga naik – yang menyebabkan kondisi sebelum gaji naik itu berulang kembali. (Catatan: pemikiran ini muncul karena gue tinggal di NZ, semakin naik gaji lo, pajak lo tambah gede, bukan di Indonesia yang gaji antara karyawan pada entry level dengan managernya bisa beda sampai 5 kali lipat atau lebih).
And I do agree that Financial Freedom is a state of mind. Ketika lo bisa menghargai (dan mensyukuri) apapun yang lo punya sekarang, tanpa menginginkan apa yang dimiliki orang lain, tanpa menginginkan lebih – baru deh cocok dibilang financial freedom. Tapi kalo kayak gitu mungkin nggak bisa disebut financial freedom yah? Konsepnya malah beralih ke konsep religius.. kekekekek
haha.. sering2 aja. aku senang kok. hihihi…
yupes, yang dirimu katakan itu turunannya. menurut pemahamanku, financial freedom yang sering digembar-gemborkan adalah suatu keadaan dimana kita bebas dari kecemasan terhadap kesejahteraan. dimana kita bisa bebas plesir ketika kita mau, beli tas puluhan juta dan seterusnya. bisa puas berfoya-foya karena rasanya ketika konteksnya ‘memenuhi kebutuhan’ maka tidak perlu istilah baru, tapi cukup dengan ’secukupnya’. ini pun tidak jelas batasannya ya.. hihihi… barusan aku browsing juga dan ternyata emang ada faktor subyektivitas dalam pengartian ‘financial freedom’ itu.
ya, di negara maju, kesenjangan sosial diatasi dengan sistem yang jelas. tanggung-jawab sosial diperhatikan sepanjang tahun. hihihi…
hahaha.. ia ya bisa jadi konsep religius ya. padahal yang aku tulis itu ke arah konsep psikologis. well, hidup kan memang saling terhubung dengan berbagai aspek…
sikap bersyukur itu sulit loh… apalagi kalau kita melihat ke ‘atas’. belum lagi ketika acara sosial dimana pertanyaan-pertanyaan datang secara bertubi-tubi…
Hello Ancilla,
It’s very nice to have your visit after many monrhs I didn’t get your news.
Your name has been added on the list. Thank you for your interest and good luck.
Have great night,
FA in PA