In 2014, when I moved to Trivandrum (from Mumbai), my financial situation was not looking great.
For years, I had been drawing down my meager savings to fund my startup. Further, living in Mumbai was expensive despite moving to a smaller apartment after quitting my job.
That was when, for the first time in my life, I experienced what it was like to worry about money.
But once I moved to a small town like Trivandrum, my house rental went down by 70%. I kept my lifestyle simple – it helped that I never smoked, drank, or partied. I still drive a decade old car and am happy with it. And as to what anyone thinks about that, I wish I could care less.
Without this low cost lifestyle, I could never have pursued my startup dream.
Over the years, I have learned that our biggest asset is peace of mind.
And here is the recipe for peace of mind: Spend less than what you earn.
If you can easily afford and want to spend on things you care about, absolutely go ahead. But don’t strain your finances by spending on stuff just for show and pretense. If needed, live a simple life and do that with pride.
Don’t get caught up in what ‘others think.’ First of all, nobody thinks about you and me – they are far too worried about themselves 🙂
And if someone does care about your appearances, ignore them – they don’t matter.
Peace of mind is bigger than all the gold in RBI’s vaults. Because without peace, there is no freedom. And without freedom, what good can life be?
– Rajan