5 Money Habits You Need to Follow

It’s been a while since I wrote a post on investments. I did a bit of a research from various sources including my dad’s word of mouth and have mentioned the following points. You may read on:

• Start Early :

Many billionaires follow this strategy. Starting with your very first paycheck, you may put in a small amount of money as a part of your investment. Even if it is as small as a thousand bucks, it is money that is saved after all.

Always remember the 60-40 rule, where you spend 60% of what you earn and save or invest the rest of the 40%.

This is just for a reference. Even if you are not able to save up 40% during the initial stages of your career, it is just alright. You may start with something small. There is no hard and fast rule.

• Choose Your People Wisely:

Friends and Family are an integral part of our lives. But what if he or she turns out to be your biggest weakness?? I am mentioning this here as a bullet point because you will be able to avoid anyone who is piling on you despite being employed. If you and your other friend is employed, you can take turns to pay your restaurant bills or split your bills whenever you guys are catching up. Once in a while a treat is fine, but this is not supposed to go on forever.

It is a fair warning, if it’s your date and he/she makes you pay your bill more than three dates, despite being employed, you must watch out.

Be around people who value money as much as you do. 

• Automate your money:

Do a little research and find out more about mutual funds or SIP’s or whatever you would like to invest in, make sure a certain amount of money goes onto these automatically. It is advisable to set it on a date which is right after your salary date. You may have a buffer of 2 or 3 days. This way, you would not spend everything you earn.

• Lifestyle jumps:

Whenever we get an appraisal or a raise, we would start making plans to spend that extra amount of money that would be adding to our existing salary.  During my first job, I was having a lot of thoughts of buying a shoe that costed 2k rupees, but during my second job, when I was earning more I easily spent 1.5k rupees on a mere lipstick. This is not a good habit to inculcate in our lifestyles.

Yes, you need to stick onto your life like before  if you had everything you needed and instead of making plans of spending, make plans to invest. 

• Simpler life:

Always, buy only what you really need, not what you want. I am a hoarder when it comes to home décor and stationery, I am learning to control. Try to adapt to minimalism style of living. It’s absolutely fine to binge on something luxurious once in a while, but you need to keep a check on it. Think before you go clubbing or eating out. It all feels great for a few hours but it doesn’t help in a long run.

When you are investing on some luxurious brand, think twice about why you are doing it. If it were your bucket list it’s fine, but if you are gonna buy it to impress the people around, you must reconsider your decision.

On the contrary, when you spend on electronics, compare the life of it and then invest. Always choose something that lasts longer even if it is to spend a few hundred bucks more. The next things one would spend is the clothes. Get pieces that might last longer and of course a versatile piece that can be styled differently for different occasions.

And Remember, You need people to value you for you, not the brands you carry or the things you own. No, you do not have to prove people about how much money you have.  

Have a great week ahead folks!!

Written by,

Divya Shankar

 

Sources:

• Outlook money

 

 

Body Shaming – Social Outlook

I was this very thin person for my height as a kid and as a teenager. I was so worried about this back then because people used to ask me if I am were terminally ill or not eating anything. No, I was stronger than most of them. Even after I went to high school and then college people made fun out of me because I didn’t fulfill the beauty standards that is already set by the society. In a due course of time, I gained weight, I felt good and confident. It was due to PCOD that I gained weight. So it didn’t stop. I reached a threshold where people started calling me chubby, fatty and aunty, post marriage.

The issue comes from all these movies that portrayed only the most beautiful women as protagonists who actually have unattainable beauty standards for an average working woman. Gone are days when people compared themselves with movie stars. This is the generation of Instagram, So generally people started comparing themselves with all those influencers and models. A few people actually wear a lot of makeup and add filters from various applications to get than picture perfect selfie. So an average woman starts feeling insecure. The others around her start calling her fatty, gluttonous and everything offensive.

And the worst thing you can do is internet shaming someone based on the person’s looks. You go anonymous and you are allowed to do anything you wanna do. You are big cowards if you are gonna do that.

     Each and everyone is unique in their own ways. You don’t like someone, you keep quiet!! why do you have to post hatred comments on their pictures or something?? why do you have to publicly insult and body shame the person?? What do you get out of it?? peace??? or a strange kind of satisfaction that you have made someone feel bad???  it affects the overall outlook a person has over himself or herself. It can take a very bad toll over someone’s self confidence. 

And there are other set of people who come up with various ideas, like trying some diet, joining a particular gym and someone even told me that wearing a saree would reduce my tummy. And post marriage, your in laws start commenting on the way you look. Oh come on!! your son isn’t Brad Pitt as well!!! Even if he goes bald and gets a pot belly, no one really cares. Beauty is largely associated with women and women only.

As far as someone is happy with themselves and physically fit to an extend it doesn’t matter if you are fat or fit. No one needs to hear offensive comments about the way someone looks.

 

And the least you can do is to support them when they are trying to lose weight. Not by discouraging their journey. Each body responds differently to different methods of weight loss. So please stop putting someone off and no one is ready for free advice. 

 

Written by,

Divya Shankar

Eating for your feelings..

“I am so stressed, I am gonna eat that cake”, “I have a lot of work to do, I am gonna grab that chips packet, let me treat myself”, ” I did a lot of work today and let me reward myself”.

Do you find yourself in such situations?? Do you find yourself saying the above often?? You are not alone, I am here for you.

I love food. I earn for food. My Instagram feed is full of food. There is nothing wrong about it. But then what am I doing to my body?? I, sometimes​ hog just because I am stressed or bored, not because I am hungry or my body needs food.

Think twice !!

Once in a while binge eating is just fine. But then think before you even think of food. At times, when you​ feel hungry, drink some water. Chances are that you are just thirsty and you just mistook it for hunger.

Be Aware!!

Stuffing your mouth with a packet of chips occasionally is not a sin. But then be aware of what is going inside your body, so that you make it up with something else, like an extra 15 minutes of cardio or reducing your quantity of your next meal.

Switch to a healthier option!

When you feel like eating something, you can choose an apple over a packet of chips or maybe munch on some raw carrots in the place of French fries oozing out of cheese, you may try the home made laddoo instead of cookies. If you are a foodie just like me and wanna try on something exotic please check out the links at the end of the post.

Ghar ka khana be the best!

Try your best to eat what you prepare with your own hands at ‘home’. This way you won’t consume it often because you are lazy to make them in the first place and you actually know what goes inside your body. You know the ingredients you add such as maida, salt, oil, sugar etc.

Healthy on the label – myth!

Someone quoted once that if you find a healthy tag on any of the processed food packages, avoid it as much as you can. It is going to harm you more than the obvious unhealthy options. Read the ingredients list below and then decide. These packed food and juices are not going to help you in any way. Make them if you can or eat fruits and veggies to fill your belly.

Talk to yourself!

Yeah!  Talk to yourself if you are really hungry or you are just stressed or bored. If your answer is no avoid it and divert yourself. You may take a stroll around the neighborhood or sit down to read or call a friend or atleast watch an episode of your favourite series.

When you want to reward yourself for something good you have done, keep that in moderation. Reduce your portions.

Just knowing when to eat what helps. This is to keep you healthy so that you get all the energy to hustle harder, so that you function more efficiently, so that you feel good about yourself. Just a reminder you are beautiful no matter what. 

Thank you for reading, until next time, happy blogging! Cheers!!

PS : Go through this link guys. The page is very impressive.

http://lifekirecipe.com

 

Written by : Divya Shankar

 

 

To every woman who lives alone..

Here’s to strong women.

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we raise them. 

The growing solitude in modern women..

They wake every morning, pulling themselves together to hustle harder..

They work hard, very hard, dealing with rejections that come in their way..

They are capable of doing things on their own; in their high heels, making that sound in the lobby of the work space, ready to conquer the world.

Who knows what is going inside them?? Heart breaks?? depression?? Family pressure?? may it be anything!!

She will be handling everything on her own.. ALONE!!

But the sparkle in their eyes with the winged eyeliner has all the zeal to achieve more and more.

The lipstick on their lips which has a million things to say, has never stopped smiling despite all the things that broke them.

By calling it a day, they come back to an empty house calling it home. They have plants, pets, books and more books, shows to watch in the name of friends.

A small little world, away from everything on their own, where they can truly be.

When they call it a night, they pat themselves for a better tomorrow and to hustle harder.

Confidence, honor, independence, fighting inner demons and battles, they remind themselves.. 

They are all beautiful……

Thanks to my one year of solitude…

 

P.S. I am going back home and I am getting married!!!

A tribute to every independent woman living alone.

Am I sad or depressed????

” People think depression is sadness, crying or dressing in Black. But people are wrong. 

Depression is the constant feeling of being numb. You wake up in the morning just to go to bed again.”

I have lived with depression since I was 12 years old and since then I have been suicidal on more than one occasion. I have experienced the sheer terror of contemplating a life filled with unrelenting anguish, and I have been consumed by the terrifying thought of having but a single means of escape from a bleak, unbearable future. It all started when everyone at home and those good for nothing relatives started putting me down for my not so good grades. ( Yeah!! I always scored 80% and it was consistent all my life). I really hated it when my relatives manipulated my parents. As a result, I was usually alone and never had any close friend or anyone, was not so emotionally attached to people. Whenever I brought someone home, there was a comparison on the marks. So I stopped bringing people to my house.

In order to escape all these, all I did was blatantly lie about my marks and just get away with it. I was happy with the instant happy atmosphere at home rather worrying about the consequences later. No one had an idea about all these in my life, since I smiled when everything inside me was shattering into pieces.

This is not a revelation or a confession. It is not that I take my pains to hide, I am definitely not ashamed of it or particularly troubled by it. It was all the game and a part of my life. One minute everything seems to be perfectly fine and the next it is like someone turned the light off my head ( could not find a better analogy). I go so quiet and had a trouble falling asleep. 

The world around me loses all the focus and I struggle to make sense out of it. Today, I learnt to live with depression, where my only fear is that I don’t want anyone to see me the way I saw myself a few years ago. There is hell, and trust me I have seen it.

“Depression is melancholy minus its charms”

                                                                    Susan Sontag

It all happened in the beginning of my college, and I didn’t even know about it. After a series of very stressful events, I lost all my weight and my hair. And then, I stood lost. One day, I gathered all my broken pieces, put them together, may or may not be perfect and got up! I am really glad i survived. But all these did take a very bad toll in my health. But still, I  was kind of feeling better the next two years.

And after two years it happened again. BAD TIMES again. Finally Here I am in 2018, stronger than ever and better than never. I do feel depressed at times. But then, all I do is to take a run, eat good food, explore new places or go to sleep.

What am I today?? I am doing better in life than all those people I was compared with. I am definitely a better human which I would say with pride.

So here it is,

What is depression???

It is termed as a common but serious mood disorder. It affects how you feel, how you think and handle daily activities such as sleeping, eating or working. It can be defined as persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

watch out these signs for depression

It is now become how I try to approach the dips in my week or month, the idea is this:

To be sick, or to suffer is inevitable. But to become bitter and vindictive in sickness and suffering and to surrender and to irrationality, supposing yourself the innocent and virtuous victim of the evil intentions of the world is not inevitable. 

We all do not talk about depression because there is nothing romantic or glamorous about feeling like you are losing your mind; no attractive selfies are waiting to be taken when you have curled up on bed, crying with excruciating emotional pain within you. And we do not like talking about suicides because as animals, the very thought of taking our own life goes against every natural instinct we possess. 

So, when you feel you are depressed, Do not hesitate to ask for help. And when you find someone depressed, offer every possible help. Make the world better. 

 

Written by Divya Shankar

References: American essayist , Richard mitchell

Image source: https://www.yourtango.com/2017299046/22-quotes-about-what-depression-feels

How to save in your 20’s?!!

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

                                                                             – Benjamin Franklin

Earning money is probably one of the most wonderful experiences ever. And indulging yourself with all that you have earned is even better. It is really hard to keep those temptations at bay whenever you step out and start saving up. YES!! All your friends must be partying and buying new clothes and you may be in the fear of missing out (FOMO). So, you end up doing things when you are not okay with it.

Maybe the first two or three months, you can spend your money as you like, of course it is your first salary and you need to taste the fruit of all that hard work you have put in it ( *wink wink*). Maybe, after that start limiting yourself. I started realizing when my dad asked me excluding all my expenses after the first three months, where did the rest of the 60 k go.  I really could not answer nor did I actually know what happened.

So keep a ratio of saving up at least 60% of what you earn if you live with your parents and at least 10% of your income in case you live on your own. 

When you start saving up or investing, always remember the power of compounding, it was called the eight wonder  of the world by the great Albert Einstein.

So, here are few tips on how to save when you just started earning. 

• Make separate bank accounts:

Keep two accounts, wherein one of them will be your savings account which would have all the money that you saved up and the other would be your salary account. The money in the savings account should not be touched unless it is an emergency. When you feel you have a lot of money in your salary account, you can transfer it to the other one.

• Make a budget:

When you know how much you are gonna spend, plan your budget accordingly. Keep a certain amount of money in your wallet and chart it out. Spend only the amount you have originally planned to. This way you will keep a track on it.

• Shop only when you really need something

The staple supplies to survive should not be compromised. But are you one of those who goes to the super market to buy two things and end up buying twenty five things?? Think again. Buy only what you actually need. I am addicted to stationery, lipsticks and shoes. The moment I stopped buying them , I actually had a lot of money left in my account.

• Always wait for a SALE and Happy hours:

When you are gonna go shopping, always check out a sale around you and websites like myntra, flipkart, nykaa etc has a sale too. Keep a track after you create your wishlist and then binge yourself without any guilt.

• Write down all the expenses: 

Write down everything you spend on a separate notebook and sort it out. Take the help of the internet to organize it. It would appear tedious at the first but you would be used to it soon ( I am trying my best to do it religiously).

• Pieces that can be used multiple things:

Always take inspiration from various fashion blogs on instagram and wordpress in order to understand how to use a single piece of clothing or accessory can be used a multiple times to put together an ensemble.

 

 

Written by Divya Shankar

image source : https://medium.com/@PiggybankNG/saving-with-a-purpose-understanding-the-why-behind-your-savings-d418c20eab79

 

Moving out…

People are strange, when you are stranger,

faces look ugly, when you are alone!!!

                                          – The doors, Jim Morrison

 

I was this person who always was guarded by my over – protective parents, who don’t even let me go to the nearest cafe all alone. Yeah!! One reason I never socialized much. After my job, my dad started trusting the fact that I would be safe and I am old enough to handle things.

Then, I got into my second job, which was really far from where I lived. So in a course of three months, I could not travel much, for which I moved out. My ‘over- protective’ parents finally let me get out of my bubble to juggle. I just stayed in the other part of the city and not an altogether a new city or anything like that.

So, I found a place. The entire house was shared by three of us. The place was only as large as my bedroom in my house. I had to adjust and fit in. I had difficulty to accommodate all my things and of course my books. I did learn to find things amidst a mess. Since the Marina beach was very close by, I didn’t complain much. ( Yeah! I don’t complain even if my living conditions are below average if I live close to a beach).

Okay!! Coming to the bottom line, I got that freedom which was immense, which got difficult to handle. No one actually guided me about what was right and what was wrong. My parents were too conservative to understand certain things. Then My friend’s mom sorted things out in my life. I literally discussed everything that was happening. She was 99.9% right in most of the cases when it came to people.

Whenever you have a bad time, remember you will get better

What did I learn???

Money matters: 

First things first, when you earn, you need to save up some amount of money. That would help the month end struggle. And of course NEVER lend money to anyone beyond your capacity. If a thousand bucks doesn’t matter to you, you can lend, if the amount of money is going to be higher, rethink your decision. It would spoil your relationship with the person as well.

The new freedom:

The amount of freedom you get can be quite scaring, no one would question you. So you should not be doing things that really look wrong to you. Just don’t do it. You will repent later. Accept the mistake and own it. No one is born with instruction manuals. Learn from it.

Responsibility- the new thingy:

You will be taking your own decisions. That new kind of freedom comes with a lot of responsibility.  Yes!! you will have to do dishes, wash clothes, buy groceries, pay bills, pay for the water.

Exploring : 

As a girl, you gotta be extra cautious about new places. Give a second thought before that exploration. In case you have a lot of time, please go out and chill. Go to all kinds of places- Local eateries, Clubs, Posh hotels, Cafe’s, Heritage buildings, anything you want. Try to know more and make memories!!

A sketch of an old church in Chennai

New people: 

Your roomies may have different priorities and you will have to adjust. But eventually you will start appreciating the differences. Make new friends and have a social life so that you don’t get into feeling lonely. At least you will have people to celebrate your birthday away from home.

Reading makes you know the world better and you will be a better person

Make the most out of it: 

Pick a hobby and really get onto it, since you will have a lot of time, you need to be careful with whatever you are doing. Read a lot and keep yourself updated. Try to learn a new form of art. It could be the one on your bucket list.

Watch what you eat:

Try to eat clean and healthy. YEAH!! your body will thank you later. Get fit. Nevertheless, you will eat junk outside, but indeed you will have to balance it. Your parents are not with you to keep an eye on you, so eventually you will end up gorging upon everything you are not supposed to eat. Be dedicated.

Watch what you think and how you feel: 

You need to love yourself, as you do not have your parents around to validate every small thing you do. This is just another stage of life where you are striving to be independent. So do not feel sad or down whenever you feel lonely.

Hangouts : 

If you hangout a lot and you are single, you will be approached by people. Be careful with everything you do. Get to know people more and then take a decision. Never be impulsive when it comes to dating and relationships. Set ground rules for yourselves instead of regretting over what you did during the heat of the moment. Every step matters. And be sane whenever you are taking a decision. It should not be haunting all your life.

Get out of the web: 

DO NOT BE STUCK IN A ROUTINE. DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVELY. Always remember an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. So keep yourself busy while looking for new opportunities.

Observe and Get inspired:

Observe things around you. The world has a lot to offer. You will know how to be contented with everything you ever had. The world is indeed ugly but yeah not all that bad. You may find inspirations from everything possible. Learn to appreciate little things even when you are in a hurry.

Relax.. you deserve it.. 

Relax :

You will need a break from your routine. So do anything you love. Even a good amount of sleep may help you out.

So that’s all folks!! Thank you reading.. Until next time, have a great day. Happy blogging!!

 

Written by Divya Shankar

Doodles – Mine

 

My Mom…

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.”

Sarcasm Much???!!! *smirks*

This mother’s day let’s all take some time to thank this SUPERWOMAN.

My mom is a teacher and she has a physics major. This surprises me the most as I hated to study physics in school. In  general, this job as a mother is the hardest and the most expensive jobs ever. It means you need to wear different hats as a mom. Yeah!! my MOM acts as my mentor, teacher, art teacher, personal chef, hair stylist, Stylist, big sister (yes, we share clothes), gossip partner and what not.

The most astonishing thing about my mom is that she takes care of everyone in her family, where she forgets herself. For instance, she always made sure I got new clothes and a cake for my birthdays, but she never remembered her own birthdays. Now that I am a big girl, I make sure I buy a cake for her.

Whatever you may call it, a mothers touch can never be replaced.

I never valued anything she did for us, until she had a surgery into her eye as the retina got displaced. I had to travel so much to work, come back home and do the household chores. That is when I realized that it was always hard for her to manage her work and home. She did it all like a pro. Even the insignificant details matter in a house to make it a home.

Now that is me after doing household chores after two days

I am kind of a very demanding person when it comes to food. I used to be very skeptical about even a small change in the taste of food. I have mercilessly yelled at my mom for that reason. Yeah I was wrong and I still regret.. KARMA. After I went to hostel, I was craving for my home food. ( Literally the story of every kid who moves out for the first time) I grew up mentally. I accepted the flaws. I was actually proud of her for managing work and home efficiently.

Not a single day is a holiday to her, even when she broke her leg, only because she couldn’t rest as she was so used to running around tirelessly.

She is the person who brought me to this world, made me live, made me talk, made me study, make me sketch, made me dance, made me read, made me create,made me manage my finances, made me write and everything I am today.

That is one important lesson my mom taught me 

To all the moms out there, you may be the single mom, surrogate mom, super mom, fashionista mom, career mom, perfectionist mom, messy mom, master-chef mom and every mom possible, you are the best and no one can ever make it up to everything you ever did.

Wish you all a happy mother’s day..!!!

 

Written by Divya Shankar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bharat Mata ki Raksha

“What had human beings become? Did war make us evil or just activate an evil already lurking within us?” 

                                                                                      – Ruta Sepetys, Salt to the sea

This is a society where values are considered to be the most sacred thing of all. On the other day when I was discussing about live – in relationships with my mom, the discussion took a new pace about opinions. My argument was that everyone has their own lives and we are nobody to interfere and there is nothing called right or wrong until it affects a fellow being. Then came the subject about recent happenings in our country. The Rape case of Aasifa. The subjects touched were the ones which were usually discussed by all. 

Everything starts with this patriarchal society where no one questions about men about what they do, where they go or who they hang out with. On the contrary, the woman is questioned even in the most insignificant thing she does. Here, in this country, a girl has to remain virgin and it is no doubt the most necessary thing you save up for your husband. Yes.. the husband owns you. There are tests like white bed sheet test where the girl has to bleed the very first time. Really??!! There is no way to prove one’s virginity unless the girls confronts and reveals it. But, no one cares about the guy. And after the marriage the guy acts like he owns the girl and rapes her even when she is not ready. This is not even considered a crime since it is the husband after all.

The guy can literally do anything he wants. He can rape anyone and just get away with it. RAPE is the highest possible form of violating the human body. Never ever say that the rapist is an animal, NO he is a monster. At least animals don’t rape, their mating is consensual and it happens naturally by attracting the mate. So be ashamed as a human being. When there is a murder, the criminal is blamed and this is literally the case with almost all the crimes. But in case of rape, the victim is blamed. Why?? the girl has enticed and given a chance to rape her.

In case of nirbhaya, everyone’s concern was why did the girl go late at night. Truth is 8:30 or 9 Pm is not late in my city’s standards. I go home after work at that time. So does that violate my character??? A girl’s character is questionable when she drinks, smokes, independent, bold, opinionated, has premarital sex etc, and this girl deserves to get raped, molested and killed. On the contrary, Aasifa was a eight year old kid whose only fear must be refrained from playing not getting raped. Since this kid was playing, does that make her get raped in the so called holy place?? So the issue is with the source – Men.

Revealing or not, she is not asking for it

 

Virginity is purity – who set up all these norms??

Purity in a relationship comes from heart not virginity. why this statement??  Because a few years ago I saw a video where men are asked if they would marry a rape victim. Most of them said the girl should be pure before marriage. It is not the victim’s fault. Why punish her??? When a rape takes place, the girl gets devastated, her honor, her family’s respect are all lost. In our society, it is considered to be the doomsday for the girl. She would be that living-dead corpse who would not be able to lead a normal life and not brave enough to take her life as well.

If she is out late at night, she is not asking for it. 

It is up to you to anything with your body, sex can be consensual, but RAPE is wrong, VERY WRONG. Don’t ask the girls to defend themselves, rather teach your sons not to rape. 

If she is drunk she is not asking for it.

What do you teach???

• You have no rights to do moral policing, everyone has a choice of their own.
• you are nobody to decide what other girl wears or where she goes or who she hangs out with. In case you don’t like her choices, do not judge.
• Respect women. They are fellow human beings too.
• A clock’s needle doesn’t determine a woman’s character
• When a woman says NO, it is a NO. May it be your wife, a friend, a girlfriend, a stranger or a sex worker. When someone says NO, you STOP.

You do not rape. Period. 

Until next time, Happy blogging everyone.

 

Source:

Inspired from the movie PINK, documentary on India’s daughter. 

Credit cards…

Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward your emergency savings. 

A credit card is a very convenient financial tool, but it comes with the risk of hurting you if you don’t respect when it comes to spending. When zeroing in on a credit card, ask yourself what you will be using the card for?? If you are going to use it for most of your financial transactions, evaluate if you will have the repaying capacity when the payment is due each month.

Next, look for a card with the lowest charges – these could be by way of annual fee, late fee and interest charges when applicable.

If you frequently use your card to refuel or buy airline tickets, look for a co-branded card to derive additional benefits. Most importantly, check the credit limits you are entitled to and make sure at no time this limit is so high that you get into a situation where you are unable to repay. As most cards come with incentives by way of reward points, do check what is on offer and how you can benefit from it before zeroing in on a credit card.

How does the credit card EMI offer work??

First things first, credit card companies make money by earning interest on late payments that you make. If you are paying off your credit card bills within the due dates then, essentially, you are not contributing to their profits. By enticing shoppers to make easy repayments on their credit card through EMIs, card companies have devised a system to make money. Yes, it does offer the cardholder respite with payment but, in reality, EMI on credit cards works like a loan – you pay the principal and interest each month and clear off your debt over a period of time.

 

Source: Outlook money, 17th anniversary issue.  

 

The one who shaped me to what I am today…

” Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber and future of an individual.” 

Teaching is a very noble profession. And it is indeed a complicated profession. It demands broad knowledge, enthusiasm, caring attitude and a love for learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques and a desire to make a difference.

Yeah!! Why am I writing this??

Because, I met my teacher who taught me in my first grade in the most unexpected way possible. I joined one of those Kendriya vidyalayas close to where I lived. I knew nothing about the locality or anything. Okay!! I was a five year old. My first day to school was bad. I was this very quiet child who never spoke a word to anyone. There was a lot of cultural differences. I was helpless. Then, My class teacher, Ms. Annie brenda. Yes!! I should mention her name, She made me into what I am today.

Since, I was this quiet kid, no one actually knew what I was. After topping the class, she started noticing me. She called up my mom and met her personally. She told my mom ” I thought this kid had a problem, she is introverted and does not say a word in the class, But then she topped the class. Make her interact with everyone and bring her out of the world.” That was a turning point in my life probably. My teacher who encouraged me in every way possible made me come out of my bubble. I started participating in competitions and won prizes too.  Once she gave me a chocolate that costed 10 bucks for keeping my progress report neatly. (Yeah!! I am a 90’s kid and 10 bucks was a big deal back then. ) She still is my best teacher indeed.

That’s what sums her up…:)

 

Then came my Hindi teacher. Her name was Ms. Padmini. She is this beautiful looking woman.  She is my neighbor now. She taught me everything possible where I am able to communicate at ease where people ask me where I am from. I was into all the writing competitions and won prizes nevertheless it was not my mother tongue.

After a long period of 20 years, I still think of my teachers who made me a better person in every way possible.

This is one of those very few noble professions where you are able to light up the other person’s life, where you are the role model for everyone of them, where you are considered trustworthy, where you find those hidden talents from every kid, where you treat everyone equally regardless of their backgrounds, where you shape someone and much more. It cannot be described by any combination of the alphabets put together. 

It was a stroke of luck when I met my teacher in a restaurant after 12 years. I could see that love and compassion in her eyes when I introduced myself. OMG !! That was one of those moments which you always remember for a lifetime. She was oh so happy when she heard that I am doing well in my life. After my mother, she is one of those most beautiful women I have ever met.

Today, I am a confident and an  independent woman, who is still struggling to come out of my bubble. But, for what I were before, I have come a long way. Had I been the same little girl, I would not be doing anything I am doing today. I would always thank my teacher for that note.

A teacher’s profession is truly a blessed and a very strong one and the love is just nothing compared to all the money in the world. They are our idols indeed.

Until next time!! Have a nice day!!

 

The basic finance I learnt from my dad!!

“In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.”

                                                                                          – Robert Arnott

How did it all start???

It all started when I started earning a stipend of Rs 5 k per month in my fourth year of architecture, where I am supposed to work as an intern in a firm. I was in my own city, so I never had to worry about food or shelter. So, spending on little luxuries was my thing for the first two months, then I started keeping some money in my account, which I would call saving up.

After a period of eight months, I opened a demat account as my dad was bugging me constantly. (Yeah!! when you are in the phase of growing up, your dad looks like your biggest enemy in this whole world, ironically, you realize everything later when you face the world.)

So, I would really state the difference between saving and investing. Read it carefully.

Savings refers to that part of disposable income, which is not used in consumption, i.e. whatever is remained in the hands of a person, after paying all the expenses. On the other end, Investment is the act of investing the saved money into financial products, with a view of earning profits. It alludes to the increase in capital stock.

I started with a mere amount of Rs 10 k in June 2015 and invested in some stocks. I was seeking my dad’s help shamelessly for the market study because I never had this finance or economics study background in my life. It did take a lot of effort to learn but it was all worth it.

Where did all the money come from when I went back for my final year?? Yeah!! It was all the money which my relatives, grandparents and my parents gave me with a lot of love. The same disposable income we spend on eating out and getting other luxuries. I kept investing all of it.

Compounding was the key. 

Now, how to diversify your investments?? 

• Fixed deposit- Fixed deposits are a high-interest -yielding Term deposit and offered by banks in India. The most popular form of Term deposits are Fixed Deposits, while other forms of term Deposits are recurring deposit and flexi- fixed deposits (the latter is actually a combination of Demand deposit and Fixed deposit).
• Mutual funds – an investment programme funded by shareholders that trades in diversified holdings and is professionally managed. I invest 3 k every month and it has given a good returns. It is a period of seven years that I opted for. I have chosen DSP Black rock mutual fund.
• Share Market – a market in which securities are bought and sold; a stock exchange to be put in a single word. This requires a little more effort and needs a proper study or guidance. You need to watch the market carefully. Websites like Moneycontrol.com, Capitalmarket.com can be used to track your portfolio. You need to take every move carefully. Even a mere sum of 100 bucks would come in handy at times.

“I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffett
Be prepared to invest in a down market and to “get out” in a soaring market.

These are some of the strategies I follow. I am a proud owner of a portfolio of Rs 2.5 Lakhs.

Whenever I have an urge to spend on shoes or lipsticks, I follow the principle of DELAYED GRATIFICATION. ( I love to splurge.. )   What is it??? It is to control your urge or your temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward. As a 90’s kid, I was taught to be content and be happy with whatever I have. I have always seen my parents as examples, who never faced any financial crisis during the month end or while building a house or buying the first car. Back then, my mom was not working and  with one man’s salary, my mom has planned it so well that we enjoy now.

I would also say that I was lucky enough to experiment with various options as I don’t have responsibilities to take care of my family. I would suggest you to start as early as possible to exit the rat race. Think before spending on those shoes. Do you really wanna buy that when you already have 15 pairs of shoes?? Or you wanna invest the same money in share market or mutual funds??

Once you invest a significant amount of money, you will get a good returns from the interests, dividends and what not!! Money would work for you. Yeah!!you heard it right. 

I am no pro and you need to do your study right away and check what is good for you and start building up your empire.

Happy investing folks… !!!!!!

And watch this space for more!!!

 

References:

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0511/the-top-17-investing-quotes-of-all-time.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_deposit

https://www.google.co.in/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enIN775IN775&q=Dictionary

Illustrations:

Mine!!

 

The notion of a ‘perfect body’..

“A woman is helpless, only when her nail- polish is drying.”

– M C Mary Kom

 

The figure of a woman.. Why is the world obsessed by it?? No one really cares about how a man looks. In this misogynistic society, whenever I get approached for marriage, all they really see is how I look or if I would be putting on weight after the wedding. But then, when I look at the physical appearance of the man, I am tagged as opinionated.

Which one are you???? 

 

The body of the woman depends on various factors such as medical issues, which may include, thyroid, PCOD,  post- par tum and most importantly the self-less love towards  her  family  where  she  forgets  to  take care of  herself.

In an  old  Tamil  movie ‘ Sathileelavathy’, the woman gains so much of weight after giving birth to two kids and taking care of her endless family needs. And her husband is shown to have  an extra marital affair with a thinner, younger and an attractive woman. When there are perfectly skinny models are shown on screen, we tend to believe that it is normal to look like one. If my mom has to look like them, she doesn’t have the luxury for all the time and effort spent , she definitely can’t take care of her family even though my dad helps her in every possible way. And think of women who have to do everything on their own, and alas!!! they never find time for themselves, they don’t get weekends nor do they retire.

When the skinny models are considered to be beautiful or perfect, the chubby women like Namita or Sona are considered to be sex symbols. Why? Who set all these??

Is 36-24-36 really the perfect woman?? Why not a curvier or a plus size woman??? It all depends upon how you carry yourself or your attitude towards life or towards your fellow beings. 

Look beyond her looks… perhaps her thoughts, actions, intelligence, determination, endurance, perseverance and what not…

Beauty is largely subjective. It may be anything in a woman.

When M S Subbulakshmi’s eyes are closed and immersed in her music or when my mom is sweating after preparing the best food for her family or when a woman carries a baby in her uterus or P V Sindhu swiftly hitting on the court or  it could even be how every girl used to come back home from school, hair undone, dumped in mud or dirt – These instances are much more than how their bodies are or the color of their skin.

Let’s embrace ourselves, and accept every woman to be beautiful. It might be hard to love yourself in the beginning, look beyond how far you have come across, YOU ARE THE BEST, NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!

 

Written by

Divya Shankar

Image source: https://qz.com/367114/its-time-we-stop-comparing-womens-body-shapes-to-fruit/

Saving up or piling up???

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today??? “

                                                                                                                                   – Steve Jobs

 Once a sage was asked about the attributes and traits which make the human beings  unique.  He said,” everyone and everything in this world has an end, but man saves  up as if he is gonna be  immortal.”  Due to evolution ,  all the living  organisms  save  up for future and it becomes a necessity. This trait is actually inherited biologically.

For a thousand years, after  undergoing so many  famines, the  body  tuned  itself  to  save up the unused calories as fat, which could be  used up when  there is no  proper  intake of food. So, again, when the fat stored becomes excessive, it becomes fatal.

When you plan so much for the future, you lose all your present moments. In this run, we end up thinking, what if it is not enough; hesitate to spend what ever you actually  have in abundance. You keep buying things and keep running a rat race  to save up even  more, endlessly.

As said, excessive consumerism is bad, Excessive saving up  is  also bad. Of  course,  being  stingy and carefully  planning expenses,  are way different from  each  other.  There is  a fine line.  When it rains,  if you are planning  to save up some  water  after taking  a shower, it is called saving up. And on the contrary, when you  don’t  take a  shower  when it is summer and wait for the monsoon, it is called stingy.

Happiness- the one magical word everyone is running  behind,  is  usually  decided  upon  having a master-degree  from  a  reputed  college, 6 digit salary,  8 digit  bank balance,  being a NRI,  holding a green card  and what not.  And you  don’t  keep  a  limit  to yourself.  We set a goal and decide to smile from the heart only when it is achieved. But do we? No,we keep running for more and more. But to be happy, all you need are those little priceless and magical moments.

In a high- rise apartment, there lived a miser who accidentally slipped off the  terrace. In the  process of falling down, when he came near his balcony, he screamed  and asked his wife not to prepare breakfast for him as  he would  be no  more  and  food would get wasted. Alas!! He died.

On the death-bed,  no one actually thinks about  saving up or  anything of that sort,  all they regret is those moments  they could have had or the time  they  could have  spent  with their families.

There are certain kind of people who have this habit of not discarding things which    are  utterly insignificant. It is actually discovered to be a mental disorder. It is termed  as  hoarding disorder. Those posts, letters, old calendars, bills or receipts  etc  are never  thrown away by these people. Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or  parting with possessions  because  of a perceived  need  to save them.

A person with  hoarding  disorder experiences distress  at the thought of getting  rid of the items.  Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.

Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes  may be  filled  to  capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Counter tops, sinks, stoves,  desks, stairways and  virtually all other surfaces  are usually piled with  stuff. And when there’s no more room inside, the clutter may spread to the  garage,  vehicles, yard and other storage facilities.

When someone saves up more than needed, he is tagged a thief. You are stealing everyone’s wealth.

“That balance between consumerism and saving up needs to be maintained, then peace  shall prevail. “

Written by- Divya Shankar

 

Source:

The hindu, Tamil – by Dr. Ramanujam, 27-jan-18, Saturday