As many of you know I did a rant regarding how I figured out why the world was so fucked up:
https://cieirmusic.newgrounds.com/news/post/1235345
Depsite many people thinking otherwise, this wasn't an angry rant, but rather one meant to inspire. The first step to any problem, especially world problems, is admitting there is a problem. The next step is how to solve said problem. Now when it comes to small things, solving problems is easy. However when you're trying to do the world a solid, it's a lot more trickier than that. To solve every problem on this planet, we got to take it one step at a time. Whether it's our own small part of it or a collaboration that could help speed things along. So every now and then starting with this post I am gonna give my take on how to solve some problems.
Now as much as I loathe our dependency on it, I'll start with the most simplest one. Money. Whether you work for it, get it through various assistance, or just flat out go out on the streets and beg for it, you'll never have enough and I'll tell you why. This is something even rich people can screw up with when they want to become even richer. We are all major victims of consumerism. Conditioned to think that we need the stuff we see in commercials and billboards, that we become spend happy. Some of us do ok, save some money, but eventually everyone will lose everything at one point if they aren't careful. Now there are some people I know who are Frugal. No scratch that, downright cheapskates who try to spend as little as they can, to save money for the near future only to run out of that too. Why? Because they didn't sweat the little stuff.
Many people, myself included think that if we spend less, we save more. This is not true. A wise person once told me "$10 here and there can get you anywhere." I never quite understood what it meant at the time, but I do now.
There are two people. Each one with a salary of $1000 a month. One decides to spend as little as possible, but the other spends almost all of it in the first few days. Which one is more screwed? Trick question. Both are. The second guy is already screwed, because he has to wait a month to get another $1000. You'd think the one spending little as possible would be in the clear too right? Wrong. That person spends at least $10 a day, throughout the week. Doesn't seem so bad, but when the week is gone that's already $70 out of that $1000 leaving $930 left. Then the next week goes buy. The past two weeks: $140 making it $860. The past 4 weeks: $280 making it $720. It may not be so bad, but if that person kept it up at that pace in a year they would have $8640 out of the $12000 They could have had if they kept the entire $1000 in a piggy bank. You'd be surprised how much a simple $10 even in today's economy could be a matter of life and death.
Now this doesn't just apply to money. It applies to anything with a number. What prompted me to talk about this, was that I was looking over my Bandcamp stats, I've only managed this day to get 11 listeners. Sounds discouraging right? Wrong and I'll tell you why. Because that small number accumulates into a bigger number when the month is over.
This is why I say sweat the small stuff, because without it, there is no big picture without it.
Here's what you must do, if you haven't done it already. Get a piggy bank. Make sure it can fit dollar bills as well as coins. Whether your a kid with an allowance or an adult with a job, this is the most critical part. Whatever money you made, at least take $10 out of it and put it away. Whether it's a weekly check, a monthly check or you just happen to spot a quarter in the middle of the street. Put $10 exactly in said piggy bank. Doesn't matter how, when or what format of money used. Exactly $10 each time you put it in your piggy bank. If you are given gift cards like Visa that too. No matter how tempted you are, do not EVER take any money out of it until it is full. You'll thank me later. Because that $10 here and there will get you anywhere.
The average piggy bank can store up to 1000 coins. In terms of pennies, that's exactly $10. Nickels? $50. Dimes? $100 Quarters? $250. Half Dollars? $500. Dollars? Yep $1000. Toonies? $2000 and so on. That little bank alone can easily set you for life if you do exactly this.
In short, do this and I gurrantee you, unless some asshole decides to rob you, you've pretty much moved your life forward with this simple task.