Category: finance

  • FW: Warren Buffett’s advice for 2009

    We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

    Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.

    This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.

    Hard work : All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

    Laziness : A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

    Earnings : Never depend on a single source of income. (At least make your Investments get you second earning)

    Spending : If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon sell things you need.

    Savings : Don’t save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.

    Borrowings : The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

    Accounting : It’s no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

    Auditing : Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.

    Risk-taking : Never test the depth of the river with both feet.

    (Have an alternate plan ready )

    Investment : Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

    I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I’m equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.

    Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

    ~ financial express

  • a good investment

    Today I received a handwritten letter. Its been a long time since I got a handwritten letter in the mail, many years (I don’t even remember when the last time was!) So it was a good surprise to find one today.

    The contents had a photo of a little girl, and a copy of her marks card which had only Goods and Very Goods, and the following letter, that quite made our hearts jump…

    Priya* is good in studies. Father works as a coolie and mother as a maind servant. The income of the father is very meagre as he does not go for work regularly. He drinks a lot and does not care for the family. Mother is taking care of the children and is interested to educate both the children. They stay in a small house for rent. Grandmother helps the children for food. Priya met with an accident & got hurt in the head, she had underwent operation at NIMHANS and still under medication. Our assistance is needed to educate Priya.

    * name changed for privacy

    We felt deeply touched and grateful at this opportunity to be part of someone else’s life. There is a certain almost inexplicable quiet joy.

    We will be receiving this report regularly every few months, and depending on our time and inclination, can provide whatever support we like to Priya. This was after sponsoring a year’s education for her through the Karanata State Council for Child Welfare, which costs Rs. 2500. This is an annual commitment till she completes her 12th standard.

    Priya studies in Gnaneshwari Vidya Mandira in R.T. Nagar, Bangalore. Not only money, they can use some help in teaching the children as well – anyone interested please email me for further details.

    Not being some millionaire but only a common man running a middle class family – and I need to work hard to support my family and try to sustain some kind of security for the future especially amidst a very uncertain market with all the economic gloom.

    Nevertheless, I feel the satisfaction of having made a good investment for the future (even though if it may not my own future! 😉 ) A song sung by Whitney Houston I’d first heard years ago still rings in my head (and heart)…

    I believe that children are our future
    Teach them well and let them lead the way
    Show them all the beauty they possess inside
    Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
    Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

  • financial freedom

    Its a fairly well known idea nowadays that time is becoming increasingly more valuable than money, and what we really need is more time for ourselves.
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