Mr Dependable

And my Final stop. The always open, ever dependable general store shop of Noor Bhai just outside my building compound gate. As I went and stood on the counter of Noor General Store, he came up to me with a smile and said, "Nescafe right"? I laughed and said that I hadn't come for purchasing my regular favourite coffee sachet that day. I had come ask him a few questions about his business for my college assignment, to which he readily obliged.

In business for over a decade, Noor's shop sells everything form a small hairpin to cell batteries. His shop is an indispensable part of the lives of all those living in the Swastik park area. Open from 6 am and shutting at 11 pm,  Noor has become a favourite amongst housewives, kids and men alike owing to its variety in terms of goods available, quick and efficient service, proximity and free home delivery!

So what product sells the most?, I ask Mr. Noor and he replies," It is very hard to pinpoint one particular product as such but the demand for Tide Detergent has seen tremendous growth in the past couple of months as compared to earlier". Besides, the demand for FMCG goods like soaps, shampoos, food products, hygiene and healthcare products, stationary etc. topped the list. So where does he get his supply of goods from?

"Different distributers of different companies, eg. Nestle's, Parle, Hindustan Lever are responsible for supplying the products of the respective companies. We do not worry about the transportation and commission costs. They are taken care of by the companies themselves." So how does the shop earn profits? Smilimg, Mr. Noor said, "I'm surprised you didn't ask this question earlier. It is a pretty simple system really. The wholesale prices for every product are different from their MRP i.e Maximum Retail Price or the ones that you buy products at. So we end up earning profits for each category of goods. I wont tell you how much though", he says with a twinkle in his eyes.

Next I ask him how money is divided between his support staff. Refusing to reveal the exact amount paid to each employee he says that the salaries depend upon the levels of seniority. "They all are my boys and I know that they are very dedicated to their work. I pay them well. Once, Shyam (one of the support staff) had closed the shop when he got a call from Mrs. Vazirani from your building asking for a shampoo bottle for her daughter who had a fashion show early next morning. Mrs. Vazirani told him that she knew that Noor is the only shop that is open till late and known for its prompt delivery. Brushing aside his fatigue, Shyam opened the shutters, caught hold of the requested bottle of shampoo and delivered it to Mrs. Vazirani who is now a Noor loyalist. Ditto Mrs. Foujdar who was rescued by Noor when she needed a bttle of glue for her son's craft exam. This helps us build a connection with people. People feel like they can depend on us. That is the most important thing for any shopkeeper- the customer's satisfaction", he signs off

Realising the value

I received my first pay check at age sixteen. It was a sum of Rs.500! I remember slogging the entire day, managing an event for a corporate get together. Me and three of my friends had been hired by an event management company-Childhood Relived, for a day for the said task. At the end of the day, holding the check, I was exhilarated. Although it didn't feel like we had worked very hard for  what we had earned(we had had too much fun arranging games, painting people's faces, making them dance etc.), it certainly was a great feeling to have actually earned an amount for the first time in my life. Returning home, I was advised by my ever sensible mother to deposit my first earning in the piggy bank and I did just that (although part of me was thinking of running out and buying the most fashionable pair of jeans in the market)

After that, my earnings continued. Rs. 500 for managing another event with the same company, another 500 for assisting a website building ( I still feel I did not deserve to be paid at all!), taking French tuitions of a girl in my building, working as an intern at a news channel during the summer....

And each time I got paid, I realised how important money really is and how difficult it is to earn. That was also the time I realised the amount of efforts my parents had taken to ensure a decent upbringing for me, fulfilling all my needs and many a times foolish extravagant demands too. Apart from food, clothing and shelter, they made sure I went to a good school, joined hobby classes, went on trips and travelled around, spent money on seemingly childish pursuits! All this made my overall earnings till that day appear so very insignificant. Of course there was the time factor to take into consideration, but I had a long way before I could boast of being financially independent.

I still do. As I stand on the brink of a bachelor degree, ready to step into the big bad world of employment and jobs, I have money playing on my mind. As much as I know how important job satisfaction and all that is, I do want to be earning a reasonably well fed pay check at the end of the day. I want to be able to buy my own clothes, pay for my own mobile and internet bills and watch my parents' delighted and proud faces when I sponsor a long, luxurious holiday for them-  all by myself!

Spend your money and feel good!

How you spend your money is your business. What you may like to consider, though, is that your spending habits can often affect your level of happiness. And what you initially think may make you happy – the new car, bigger house, and large screen TV – may not give you the most smiles for your dollar. With this in mind, I have come up with what I consider are some ways spending your wealth can lead you to a happier, and more satisfying, life.

1. Spend it on hobbies

Personally I think too many people give too much time to passive forms of entertainment. Sure, there are times when I just want to relax in front of the TV. But what makes me happy is when I am active. If you need some ideas, consider buying tools, board games, or a musical instrument.

2. Spend it on friends and family

There is a strong correlation between happiness and satisfying relationships. But lets face it, sometimes it can be expensive to maintain great relationships with our friends and family. If your family live far away, it can seriously drain your savings to visit them (as an Australian living in Canada, I am familiar with this one). Or if you are invited to a wedding, it can cost you a small fortune buying after the present, clothes, etc are taken into account. All I suggest is that when deciding if it is worth it, remember the first line of this paragraph.

3. Spend it on education and job training

Perhaps the greatest asset you can invest in is yourself. Education and job training are often essential to attaining the job you want, or in being promoted within your work. This may sound obvious, but people who are more satisfied with their jobs tend to be happier.

5. Take a holiday

I believe everyone needs at least one decent holiday a year for the sake of their sanity. However, a word of warning is necessary: holidays get real expensive, real fast (but you already knew that). Don’t let a holiday mess up your financial goals.

6. Spend it on having fun

Fun and happiness go together like peas and carrots. Plus, you don’t want to be boring, do you?

7. Pay your bills and reduce debt

Being up to your eyeballs in debt and surrounded by piles of bills will clutter your mind and stress you out. I suggest investing in your happiness by paying your bills on time and keeping your debt at a manageable level.

8. Pay more for healthy food

Unfortunately healthy food often costs more money. Personally, I can justify an additional monetary cost with the knowledge that I feel better when I eat well and that is is better for me. I believe health is one of those things we don’t tend to appreciate until we lose it. Why not learn from others’ mistakes and look after yours?

9. Create an emergency fund

Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we hope it will. Creating an emergency fund is all about having peace of mind so that if things ever do go awry, you have access to some quick cash. The minimum I would recommend is $1000. An ideal amount, though, would let you live for approximately 3 months without working.

10. Give it away

Donating to charity often leads to warm and fuzzy feelings inside. More importantly, though, you will be doing a good deed that could potentially make a big difference in the life of someone less fortunate.

Now Playing- Money!

Money drives the world round. That is the reason why money has been the basis for many of our movies' story lines. Here's a look at some of my favourite ones:

1.  Wall Street This is one of most well known and critically acclaimed movies about money. It's directed by Oliver Stone, and it stars Michael Douglas. Memorable lines from the film include, "The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do."


2. Mad Money is a fun comedy about money, its importance and the desperate schemes to get it. It is all about money, and it was even featured on a series of lottery tickets, aimed at people also longing for some mad money.


3.  It's a Wonderful Life This is probably the ultimate of the movies about money. It follows the life and story of George Bailey, a man whose life has been continuously delayed by a lack of money and a wealth of loyalty to his town, family and friends. Although it may look like it hasn't paid off, he ultimately gets back more than what he has given.


4. Indecent Proposal  This film stars Demi Moore, Robert Redford and Woody Harrelson. It tells the story of what happens when a couple who are in deep need of money are given a proposition. A man offers them a million dollars for one night with the wife.


5. Trading Places  A great comedy that stars Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. As its title slightly suggests, it's the story of a rich man who becomes poor, and it's the story of a poor man who becomes rich. How life can change based on your income is chronicled in this light-hearted tale.


6. Hera Pheri   Starring Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty, this film tells the story of three unemployed men who get stuck in a comical web of kidnap, ransom, laughter, confusion and of course, a hefty sum of money, all thanks to switched telephone numbers. 

For a Rainy Day!

Today the mantra is “work hard, play harder”. People who think of tomorrow are considered boring and losers. Most of the people work hard on the weekdays and splurge money on the weekends, as if that is our last day on earth. Although there is no harm in living lavishly, the expenses should not be so large that you end up like the fabled grasshopper and that too in this time of economic depression. Although it’s justifiable that you want to let loose of yourself and splurge sometimes, you have to remember to play safe. Learning how to save money can only work if you really want to curtail your expenses a bit. Here are some ways to help you save money and that too without stretching yourself much.

 

Tips For Saving Money

 

Set Saving Goals

Making smaller goals will be easier for you to save money. When there is no proper aim behind saving money, you would find yourself spending it, sooner or later. Therefore, make suitable plans of how you are going to save and why. The plans should not be too long-term, like saving for retirement. Although it may work for some people, it is not a realistic goal for many of us. Therefore, take one-step forward at a time, like saving for that bike. For instance, if you want to buy a television, narrow down on your choice and start saving for that. It’s easier if you have a perfect goal of saving an x amount of sum and when you are able to save that much; you are encouraged to save further too.

 

Set The time

After you have set your goal, allot a time in which you should save that much amount. If you have to buy a television, then divide the x sum into each month, which you can comfortably save without being stingy. Thrive for saving that much every month. However, don’t go overboard and try saving a hefty sum every month. You may save for few months that way, but eventually would come back to spending more and saving nothing. Zero in on the amount for which saving is perfectly possible, but don’t get too lenient as well and save very low amount every month.

 

Keep A Record Of Expenses

Always keep a record of every penny you spend. Keeping a record will help you check how much money you’re spending and how much you’re overspending. If you know that the money you spend on the weekend is the sum of money you earn working the weekdays, you are less likely to spend more.

 

Make A Budget

When you make a budget, it helps in saving a lot of money for you and also helps keep your over expenditure in check. Why, even governments have yearly budget plans! So, make it a habit to make a budget for every month and even stick to it.

 

Cut Unnecessary Expenses

If you want to save money, you need to cut on unnecessary expense. Keeping a record of what you spend will help you cross out the places you are likely to spend more money. In addition, when you know that you spend more money doing something, you will spend less the next time you are doing the same thing. It also helps you decide on what is more important and what is unnecessary. If you spend your weekend eating, drinking and partying, cut on it if possible. If you spend too much money buying clothes, make an objective of spending less on clothes in coming months.

 

Invest

Investing is not just for people who have more money. Even a person with moderate amount of money can invest. If you are interested in buying share, go ahead, provided you know about it. You can invest in something less risky as well, like gold. You can invest in retirement plans and insurance policies as well.

 

Open Savings Account

If you have a hard time saving money, open a saving account and fix a sum of money from your account to be automatically transferred into the account. Make sure that you don’t keep a very hefty sum for that as well. Keep aside an amount you can comfortably live without. There are so many kinds of saving accounts and you can choose one as per your convenience.

Just for Laughs

   Money rarely gives us a reason to smile, especially in these times. So presenting to you a few of those rare occasions where money talk'l tickle your ribs :)


1.             Why is money called dough? 
                Because we all knead it!  

2.             I hate paying my income tax.

                You should be a good citizen - why don't you pay with a smile?
                I'd like to, but they insist on money!

3.            Raja: Thank you so much for lending me that money. I shall be

                everlastingly in your debt. 

                Akshay: That's what I'm afraid of!

4.            Daddy," a little boy asked his father. "How much does it cost to get married?"  "I don't 
                know, son. I'm still paying for it."

5.          
              A man bursts into his house and yells, "Pack your bags, Honey, I just won the lottery!"

              She says, "Oh, wonderful! Should I pack for the beach or for the mountains?"
              He replies, "I don't care ... Just get the hell out!"         

        




6.          A man went into a lawyer's office, and demanded to see the lawyer. He was escorted
             into the lawyer's office. The man needed legal help, but he knew how expensive lawyers
             could be, so he inquired,   "Can you tell me how much you charge?"

             "Of course", the lawyer replied, "I charge $500 to answer three questions."
             "Don't you think that's an awful lot of money to answer three questions?"

              "Yes it is", answered the lawyer, "What's your third question?"

        


 7.         "Mr. Smith, I have reviewed this case very carefully," the divorce court judge said, "and 
             I've decided to give your wife $275 a week."

            "That's very nice, your honour," the husband said. "And every now and then I'll try to send
             her a few bucks, myself."

Hard indeed!

One minute it's there, the next second its gone..poof!  One minute you are happily jingling it in your pocket, and before you know it, you've spent it..or someone else has done it for you. Hard to get, hard to keep, hard to resist, we are going to be talking about that elusive and universal truth- CASH!