Counting other people's pockets.

Why do we as a people have a problem with the way other people spend their money? Just because we know intimate details of someone's finances doesn't give us the right to try and police the way they do things.  It's really none of our business.  So, my question is why do we make it our business?  I too have been guilty of this in the past.  Someone will tell me about their financial woes, and I will immediately go back to a conversation we had about the money they have, and I will start figuring out a way to help them to get out from under the issues they are having.  But who made me the financial advisor in their life? No one, I just made it my business and I didn't need to.  

Just because someone is confiding in you about their issues with something doesn't make you that automatic fixer of their problems. It's like if you are talking to someone and they mention they are going to be late on their light bill. So, you automatically offer your help, and they didn't even ask.  Then, we have the nerve to get mad when they don't pay us our money back when they didn't ask for it in the first place. Why do we as humans do this? Or is it just me?  What works for me, may not work for them.  We each are raised differently and have our own relationships with money. 

I was talking to a friend of mine, and she was commenting on some people she knew.  She was telling me how they were taking vacations and always out and about in their cities and she knew personally they didn't have any money. How did she know?  She remembered a conversation she had a while ago. What had happened was, one of them got fired and the other quit their job. So, in her mind she was wondering how they are able to do all these activities.  My immediate thought was, why does it matter. Is anything they are doing affecting her directly? Absolutely not. 

We as humans pay too much attention to what others are doing instead of minding our own business. It reminds me of the scripture about the planks/sawdust.  In Matthew 7:3-5 it says, why do you keep pointing to the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye when you don't pay attention to the log in your own. You hypocrite! First, take a look at your own faults and correct them, then you'll be better able to see how you can help others. 

Oftentimes, people care about how others spend their money because they may genuinely be concerned about their financial wellbeing and want to ensure that they are making responsible choices.  Others find themselves interested in others' spending habits, most likely out of curiosity or a desire to compare their own financial decisions.  Societal norms and expectations around spending and saving can influence how people perceive and judge the financial choice of others. But why is it our business to judge the way anyone spends unless that is a part of our regular job and it’s how we maintain our lifestyles. 

I say take care of you and your spending habits and if someone asks for your advice then give it to them. I understand a lot of times we want to insert ourselves and "help", but talking about finances is a very sensitive subject to most people. All you can do is be the best example to them, that is assuming you do well with your finances.  Make sure you are paying yourself first and taking care of your responsibilities. It’s wise to create and maintain a budget.  Money will take us far if we use it wisely.

Sending you love, light and positive vibes,

Cassie K.

#SayItOnSunday

"Always remember to LIVE life to the fullest, to LAUGH at everything and to LOVE unconditionally!"