“Don’t Postpone Joy”

With this one tag line an automobile company has created a mass hysteria amongst the relaxed executives like me, who are stuck with their vintage vehicles due to change in priorities over the years. While on the face of it we may appear indifferent but deep down somewhere these temptations create ripples. Such are the times we live in. On one hand, we are being taught to avoid temptations, and on the other hand these campaigns keep tempting us with shiny objects of desire.

All through my life people wiser than me told me to avoid living beyond the means, as it is not good to enjoy short term pleasures to endure long term agonies, but it never entered into my hard skull. I wanted to test it myself -> Earn to Spend OR Spend to Earn

So I purchased a flashy expensive mobile on credit. I ensured that the EMI amount was no less than my disposable income to make full use of it. It was a marvelous piece of technology and I happily started consuming it. As the year went past, reality stuck me when my friend brought a latest phone and mine is rendered unimpressive in comparison. I became anxious and desperately wanted to change my phone. But since I had no savings, I sold my old flashy phone at extremely depreciated price and took another loan to fund my new desire. I was thrilled again but largely overshadowed by the monthly EMI outgo due to which I was yet again not able to save anything. I may have landed myself in a recurring state of debt, it seems.

Then there were few around me who could resist their impulses and were able to Postpone 'Joy'. They saved and earned Interest instead of paying Interest. They kept saving and then spending, and the Return on their investments kept feeding them dependably. They were neither worried about the debt to be settled, nor were they living in any overspending guilt. They were also comprehensively cushioned against any variations in their future income levels.

Isn’t it the kind of peace I always wanted? Isn't debt, no matter how big or small, causes stress, esp. when our future is so unpredictable. I realised that my purchase power is not equal to my ability to afford EMI, but my ability to afford the price upfront. And going EMI route to purchase depreciating liabilities is a double whammy which I must guard against. I may be surviving by chance so far but let me stop taking chances now.

So finally, I decided never to prepone ‘Joy’ till I can afford it.

Disclaimer: The protagonist above is purely fictitious. Any resemblance to real person is purely coincidental.