Most people start off their careers in one of three ways:
1. Checkout chick
2. Burger flipper
3. Dishpig
I started at option one. I spent five years at Woolworths working in various roles, beginning as a shelf stacker then moving to the coveted back office roles which are far removed from customers. The most fun I had was getting up at 7am on a Saturday and driving around forklifts all day.
LESSONS IN THE REAL WORLD
I did fill in on checkouts a few times (thankfully, it wasn’t a full-time role) and it was an excellent opportunity to learn about people.
My mother told me always to respect your elders. I say that any person who treats me with respect I will automatically respect back, regardless of their age. “Elders” (which in this context covers anyone from age 30 to 90) who yell, scorn and abuse 16 to 21-year-olds for the pettiest of reasons do not deserve respect for their vile behaviour.
But one of the other lessons I learnt while on the checkouts is that some people are cheap!
One particular lady lived a 20-minute drive from our supermarket. We always knew that whenever she came into the supermarket, we would get a phone call a half an hour later (after she got home) complaining about something on her receipt.
When it was my turn to receive one of these calls, she claimed that we’d scanned through 11 bread rolls when she’d only brought 10 to the counter. Naturally, she wanted a refund. At that point, it was very hard to prove that she had 10, 11 or 100 bread rolls!
Nevertheless, we refunded the extra bread roll (as we refunded every one of her complaints) because “the customer is always right” (cough, cough!)
EVERY CENT COUNTS…
To recap: This particular lady would drive 20 minutes back to the store, where another member of staff or I would arrange for her refund and then she’d drive 20 minutes back home.
This begs the question: How much of a refund did she get from her one bread roll?
50 cents! No joke!
Seriously, why bother traveling 20 minutes to and from your home over 50 cents? She probably spent more than 50 cents on petrol!
I know the answer to that question. Some people are cheap! They are so fixated on “costs” that they rarely see “value”. They get so excited when they are refunded 50 cents back from the “big nasty supermarket”.
But here is the most important part of the lesson:
Cheap people never become rich.
Cheap people always focus on what they can save, but they never focus on how much they can make. They spend so much time trying to save money they have no energy (or motivation, depending on which way you look at it) to consider alternate methods of making money.
They are pinching pennies and missing millions!
A cheap person will never consider hiring a cleaner who charges a mere $30 per hour because they are too focused on the cost rather than the value.
A cheap person will happily move their home loan to an online provider that is 0.02 percent cheaper simply because they feel like they are saving money.
A cheap person will never become a member of Master Your Money Now because receiving advice about increasing your income, boosting your super , and owning your own home is “a waste of money”.
LACK OR ABUNDANCE
Here is my question to cheap people: Do you think rich people spend all their time gazing at their receipts looking to save 50 cents on their docket? I doubt it!
Because they are rich and don’t need to!
No, even if they were poor, I doubt they would do it. This is not a question of how much money you have; it is a reflection of your mindset.
A Master of Money is happy to pay a cleaner $30 per hour because they know they can make $60 per hour doing what they love!
A Master of Money is happy to pay an extra 0.02 percent on their home loan because they value the advice and relationship of their broker and know they have to pay extra for this.
A Master of Money is happy to be a paying member of a community focused on taking control of their finances because the value of that membership far outweighs the cost. They know when they get the right advice, they could make thousands, if not millions—far more than their monthly membership.
Even though a Master of Money may not receive direct financial benefit from advice, they may get an idea or inspiration that changes their life. They may meet someone who becomes either a personal or professional long-term connection. Being part of a community has more benefits than just financial ones.
But most of all, a Master of Money is focused on increasing their number one asset: Time. They value their time and know that some things are just not worth worrying about.
Of course, this message does need balance. Some people pay ridiculous amounts in fees, premiums, etc. in various areas of their life because they haven’t reviewed their finances.
It is essential that you have a budget in place and review it every six months to ensure you are on track. (And I would never fill up petrol without making sure I have a supermarket petrol voucher in place!)
However, it is also essential that you know the value of your time and your expertise.
YOUR CHOICE
You have a choice to be a cheap person solely focused on lack or to be a rich person solely focused on abundance. This doesn’t just apply to your finances; it also applies to your relationships, emotions, and health and wellbeing.
Your time and expertise can be used to find ways to save money or make money.
It is your choice what path you want to travel.
But don’t think you are a Master of Money if you saved 50 cents on your groceries.
While you were saving 50 cents, another person was getting advice about an investment strategy that could make them over $50,000.
You are merely Pinching Pennies and Missing Millions.
P.S. Be nice to checkout chicks —they may become your financial planner!
If this is a topic that you would like to discuss in more detail, please go to www.MasterYourMoneyNow.com.au/getstarted to book in your complimentary 30 minute strategy session.
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Disclaimer: This information is general information only. You should consider the appropriateness of this information with regards to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
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