Zen Money

You! ….Are a money moron.
Gail Vaz Oxlade, begins each episode of Money Morons by confronting a broke person who owns nice things. The tag line serves as a jolt to begin the process of coming back to reality.
Yes, when you factor in interest, you paid $3,000 for that blender.
This show, and her other, Till Debt Do Us Part, are lessons in discipline, being an adult, and to a large extent, personal development. They are also adequate guilty pleasures I enjoy in the same way someone a bit overweight enjoys a show about the morbidly obese.
I had debt, not reality show worthy, but enough to add a lot of undue stress in my life.
Living with a partner, put a spotlight on the issue. For months I thought she was neurotic: Comparing prices on fruit, and looking for a can of beans that was thirty-cents cheaper. No, these savings alone didn’t get me out of debt.
But what I began to realize was… that being frugal is oddly enjoyable. To the extent that it made me reassess my own philosophy on money. One that believed going out of your way to save a few cents was not worth the time it took.
But being frugal isn’t just about this or any kind of “extreme” couponing. It’s about taking control, feeling secure and — if I can take a big jump here — breaking out of the backwards paradigm we exist. In the words of Michael Ellner:
“Just look at us. Everything is backwards, everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, psychiatrists destroy minds, scientists destroy truth, major media destroys information, religions destroy spirituality and governments destroy freedom.”
The good thing about this state of affairs is that simple actions can become revolutionary. Just like most doctors don’t tell their patients that a head of broccoli will do more good for them than more prescription drugs, no one really tells you that it’s enjoyable to save money.
In fact, it’s more than just enjoyable. Chinese culture has long ranked frugality alongside the virtues of love and generosity. A stark contrast from our consumer culture. One that encourage constant spending, and fools us, however subtly, that that we are only worth what we spend.
We can break the illusion by — and even make an art out of — spending less. In doing so, you will have less stress, a greater appreciation for the things you have and — most importantly — you won’t need anyone to call you a moron on TV.
