The Quiet Way to Master Your Personal Finances That No One Talks About
Money can change everything.
I used to spend more money on my social life when I went to a restaurant or bar with my friends. Nowadays I don’t like to shop much, but I prefer to have a drink when I go out with the people I love most. A totally normal lifestyle.
I grew up poor, my parents had to cut expenses in many places. Sometimes there was no money left for vacations. Sometimes I wore the same clothes as if it was a work uniform.
Nowadays I am faster in handling my money well. I only spend it in moments that make me better.
By Spending Your Hard-Earned Money On Other People You Master Finances
After a vacation in the south of Portugal with one of my best friends, our friendship was never the same.
We agreed to split the cost of our day-to-day expenses, but I didn’t realize how pedantic she would be.
She made a spreadsheet, wrote everything down to the penny, and demanded that I transfer her money every day. I found this behavior cold and very professional.
My sister and my father had a falling out because she had squandered the money intended for her studies on a trip to Europe with her boyfriend at the time.
My father was very hurt and angry. After a while, he tried to calm things down. Unfortunately, my sister still doesn’t see her mistake.
When I was 20, I dated a woman 6 years older and with much more money than me. This financial imbalance only increased the power imbalance between us.
I felt that I owed her something all the time, while she did not always tell me how much the things she paid for — like dinners, groceries, and vacations — cost.
I have more stories to tell you.
Once I took my friend on a trip through Europe with my parents. I was living in Porto at the time and hadn’t seen her for a year. She flew to visit me and together we went to France and Germany.
My parents were very generous, paying for things like delicious meals, transportation, drinks, tickets, and lodging. She said she would pay it all back.
At one point we had a heated discussion because she was jealous that I also wanted to spend time with my parents. After all, I hadn’t seen her for a year.
She then threw a tantrum and stayed in her room the whole time because she didn’t want my parents around. She bluntly said that she didn’t mind that I was seeing them.
I asked her: “If that is the case, why did you come on vacation with us? You knew from the start that it would be a family vacation.
In fact, she tried to get my parents to fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil when their flight was delayed because she didn’t want to wait alone at the airport.
Of course, after she treated them like that, they didn’t. Besides, her flight was delayed only four hours.
After she got home, she never contacted me again, never thanked my parents for their generosity or for taking her on vacation with us, and, of course, never paid my parents back.
The Bottom Line.
Spending your money with other people you learn very fast about money management.
As you may already know, I grew up in a poor family.
We were on welfare to survive, while one of my friends had parents with more money. Later, whenever she paid for my coffee, she often asked me for the money while I invited her several times and asked nothing in return (I like to do this because I think it is normal for friends to invite each other).
People born into wealthy families cannot understand the burden of intergenerational poverty, and this is where relationships can sometimes fail.
By spending your money with other people you see who is who.
You master your personal finances, wealth, and your more generous or more selfish human side.
Money can change everything.
Those good tweets
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.