(source: https://pixabay.com/photos/penny-pennies-coins-coin-money-164543/)
I read an article today from an awesome guy @dlmmqb who has been helping me learn to use Hive. The article was great and the link is underneath.
@dlmmqb/the-value-of-one-cent-storytelling
Now I should probably post this as a reply to him but I just had too much to say for a reply. Also, this is an important (to me at least) post to put in the Frugal not Stingy community and I'm still learning about tags, reblogging and so forth.
Hope you bear with me.
...and I'm getting sidetracked.
The basic idea of the post was don't disrespect the penny (or rupee) which is well summed up by his statement:
"Those who don't value 1 rupee, don't deserve many rupees."
Quick thought
A fool and his money are soon parted
Then there is the problem with people's view of you when you try to get small amounts of money:
"the guy tried to bring me to shame by saying it's just 1 rupee and you come this far just to take your 1 rupee back."
Quick thought.
I didn't come back for my rupee I came back to retrieve what was stolen from me by a thief
Followed by the situation where you are in a no win situation. If you ask for your penny you are looked down upon but if you don't have the penny you are looked down upon. Can't win!
"Cause when you have 1 rupee less they will treat you like you are a leech but when you ask for your 1 rupee back you are also a leech?"
Quick thought:
No-one likes being put in a no-win situation!
Now, I'm very passionate about fighting for the best deal and that means counting every penny! I work out the value of what I'm buying and hunt for ways to save...Period...
Why? Because I know those pennies add up! As an example: I have a credit card that gives me 0.7% cash back. Less than one penny per dollar.
However, here is a look at my rewards from the cashback for the past 5 months:
Proof that those pennies do add up!
Of perhaps a quote from the Bible:
Matthew 25:29
Or from my posts on Hive:
I'm rewarded almost nothing for many of my posts. However, I still make them because (1) I have something to say and (2) Things do add up over time.
Never let it be said that I don't value the penny
But....
There is also the value of your time and the value of a content heart.
Let me start with a question:
If a thief was to come into your home and steal something would you rather he steal:
#1. A penny
or
#2. Your happiness?
How much money do people spend trying to find contentment and happiness? My guess is that it is far greater than a penny! If I argue with a street vendor or salesperson over a small amount I'm not likely to walk away with a serene heart or happy sentiment.
Even if I do walk away feeling happy that I won the battle in the name of justice and equality. I'm almost certain that the shopkeeper isn't going to feel happy about dealing with a difficult customer! In that case my penny is stealing their happiness!
Would I pay a penny to maintain peace in the world....even if just a little bit? Absolutely!
Then there is the value of time.
Money is typically earned by working at a job and getting paid. How much time was wasted working to get that Penny?
Now I'm assuming from the rupee mentioned that the poster is from India. India has a pretty low minimum wage by Canadian standards. A quick web search brought up this :
178 Rupee per day. In BC where I live the minimum wage is close to 7500 rupee per day ($16.50CAD/hr)
So, I won't bore you with the details, but at minimum an Indian worker would have to work about a minute and half to make a penny. A Canadian worker about 4 seconds to make that penny.
If you spend more time that that arguing to get a penny its like working for less than minimum wage! Essentially not worth your time
To Summarize everything
People should value every penny they get. They work hard for those pennies and if you can't be trusted with a little you can't be trusted with a lot. Any person who treats money as unimportant or trivial is a fool. As a general rule it is not worth arguing with a fool.
However, as valuable as money is it is just a tool. A tool which can help provide you with things you need, help you to give to others and help you to enjoy time with the people you love (nice dinners, nice outings and so on).
As valuable as money is: Your time, peace of mind, and relationships are far more valuable.