The ‘Starbucks Dilemma’ is a term that randomly popped out in my head after reading a Facebook post by a Malaysian writer, Sher Hann Chua entitled ‘An Open Letter To The Average 20-Something Living in Kuala Lumpur’ about the undebatable reality of how youngsters leading our jeopardized life especially in managing our bank accounts, and I strongly believe that every youth who existed in this Internet era has dealt with the struggle of choosing between a Starbucks Venti to post on Instagram or a McValue Lunch to survive the whole day as it is the most luxurious meal you can have for the week.
I am a year away from my first day of college, and I don’t even dare to dream of holding a credit card in my hand due to the frightening headlines of young adults being clogged up with debts at the beginning of their lives away from being managed by their parents, and most of them are predicted will not ever afford to pay back all the amount they’ve used. Many has put blame on the rising price hike of basic necessities such as paying off rent, transportation and food costs, and as students, school fees and textbooks, also additional reference books are a worry. Come to think again about it. Who or what exactly are we supposed to blame when we are the ones that doesn’t want to give up the Friday night parties, the new clothing collection at our favorite concept store, a 20$ journal that you barely shed an ink on but you have to catch up because your friends are suddenly being organized for the new year and a lot of other things that that you won’t die without it. Yes, shopaholics, you won’t die if you don’t buy that leather bomber jacket that you saw at the store the other day.
It is no doubt that teenagers are starting to build up entrepreneurship skills and some of us have successfully built an empire before finishing high school like our friends here, but it still doesn’t cover up the flaws of low financial management skills of youth which is the global economy’s biggest concern for the future as the struggle will be harder for the next generation if this norm continues to blend into our traits and characters. You may have searched for ‘Tips To Save Money’ or any phrase synonym to it on Google to cater to your never-ending ‘broke crisis’ at the middle of the month just like how I did at the beginning since all the treasurers know when you have a pocketful of cash and urgently ask you to pay up at that moment when there’s about.. 30 days for them to give me a notice before the 1st? I don’t know. Nevertheless, the formula is simple : Pay your priorities and save for what’s not. Yes, you may read on 10 websites giving you a step-by-step way on how to do it, like making a simple planning first and whatnot, but resistance is the key. You may have sort out our priorities and still starving at the crucial time of the month if you still think that you’re obligated to buy what you want especially when the list of your ‘want’s are more than the list of your ‘needs’. When I mention financial management skills, I am not just stressing on the cash flow but also, the amount of dollars that are still safe and sound in your pocket at the end of the day.
To conclude, cash blindfolds us. You will think that you had the world when you have them and spend them recklessly. If you don’t play the game fairly, you will not only lose cash, but also your world. Think smart and save!
