"Bah! Who cares? I'm rich, and that's that!"
Are you as "thrifty" as the girl in the dialogue? When it comes to conserving natural resources and belongings, there will be two schools of thought. One of them will reply nonchalantly: "Why bother?" However, those from the other will nod their heads in unison, and be up in arms to preserve as much resources as possible. Given the current era of globalisation, I strongly believe that most of you are in the second category . Repent if you are in the lavish group and ask yourself. If you are THAT rich and can spend extravagantly, will the treasure last forever? What is the need to work then?
You can waste anything-natural resources, monetary aspects and individual aspects. Ask no more, and I will discuss the individual aspects first. Some of you may have a hearty laugh. What is it to waste among individuals? An individual is a body with four limbs who walks around and lives his life, right? No, you have got me wrong. Being an individual is not as simple as being born, grow up into an adult, and die due to old age. NO! The most crucial-yet most neglected aspect in a human's life is always wasted. Of course, it is time.
Most of us, especially, regard time as dirt. In truth, time is gold. A second frittered away is a bit of life gone. Thus, we must always utilise the time to the maximum.God is indeed fair and just, as we are blessed with twenty-four hours daily. Whether time is sufficient or otherwise, it is in our hands. As adolescents, we should stay alert and never get carried away by the indulgence in life. Instead, we must use our time wisely to obtain knowledge, polish our talents and pick up some skills into our sleeves. If we utilise our time completely, our life will be filled with vibrant colours and hopes as time passes and we are stepping closer to success. Otherwise, life is all about living as an ordinary person without aim. How mundane will that be!
Next, if we do not realize it, we are actually wasting chances and hopes. Let us remember this: "Man can live a few months without food, a few days without water, a few minutes without air, but only one second without hope. "Life is a game of chance, and we do have large prospects in our lives for a radiant tomorrow. Unfortunately, some of us are either too confident or pessimistic. Those who are overconfident choose to rest on their laurels upon achieving success rather than to be better themselves. The pessimists, on the other hand, are satisfied to lead an unmotivated life or think that the world is against them in every way. In reality, we should grab every opportunity available in life to succeed. Thus, we should have faith in our life and strive meticulously to be optimistic. As the saying goes, "God helps those who help themselves".
Now that we are moving on to the monetary aspects, let us assess our lifestyles: are we spendthrifts or those who live frugally? Given the current economic downturn and price hikes, it is almost impossible for us to spend money like water. Thus, we should live frugally. As the saying goes, "a penny saved is a penny gained". This includes proper budgeting.
Hey, things today come at exorbitant prices, how to live well?
You do not have to live like the poor by being frugal-far from it. Rather, it is about slashing the unnecessary spendings and increasing the incomes. For instance, we can have our nutritious meals in the comfort of out homes instead of overspending for a luxurious dinner outdoors. For those fashionistas out there, why not purchase cheap yet equally good local items in lieu of designer goods of the same quality? Those who are aware of appearances need to visit the beauty parlour no more if you can transform your way of living. Among such ways is to eat sensibly to pump up your wallet and save your figure. A little change goes a long way indeed!
At the same time, we can release our inner talent to increase our remuneration. Do not let our life-long effort of studying and talents go down the drain. For instance, those who are computer-savvy can consider setting up a computer class in the neighbourhood for extra pocket money. Students can take up part-time jobs during vacations to gain working experience, brush up their skills of communication and lighten their parents' burden. As for full-time housewives, apart merely housework and television for leisure, non-mobile jobs such as babysitting services, catering for functions and meals, etc. are great to supplement the family's earning. Whichever means is used to improve the financial condition, everyone should play his or her role, and fathers should not be deemed as sole breadwinners for the household.
After all the money business, it is time for us to ponder over our deeds to the environment. Since the industrial Revolution back in the eighteenth century, our Mother Earth has endured lots of destruction and pollution. Due to our careless abuse of the natural resources, we are now suffering the various man-made disasters and sheer lack of natural assets. Here it is: "As you make your bed, so must you lie on it"! To sustain a comfortable lifestyle, we should not squander the treasures of Mother Nature.
To minimize wastage, we must practise the 3Rs-reduce, reuse, recycle. With the current advance in green technology, there is no reason for us to be improvident. Papers, metals, plastics, and glass are some of the recyclable materials. In fact, by recycling, we can cut down the amount of rubbish produced, as "Rubbish is misplaced treasure". According to Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd, a local private company which stays steadfast to green the nation, we can save seventeen trees, 6953 gallons of water and 587 pounds of air pollution by recycling just one tonne of paper. Meanwhile, by recycling a glass bottle, we can save sufficient electricity to light a 100 watt bulb for four hours! The good news is that, the benefits of recycling does not end there- we can save a gigantic amount of natural materials and energy in the long run.
How do we cut down wastage on natural resources and rescue our one and only thriving planet? To start with, we should use both sides of a leaf of paper and utilise the cutouts and remnants of it as little notes; Kitchen compost can be churned into garden compost to save money for the fertilizers. On top of that, plastic and glass bottles and jars can be reused as kitchen receptacles or as decorative purposes. Regardless of the ways and means, we should work all out to cut down wastage of resources. Let us quote a Spanish proverb: "we do not inherit Earth from our ancestors, we borrowed it from our descendants."
All in all, we should practise thriftiness in every fabric of our life before it is too late. As the saying goes, "better safe than sorry". It is crucial to plan every life aspect systematically so that we can always cherish our lives and make the best of them. Otherwise, we will be just like the living dead or the dead living. Please, please take account of your current needs and future preparations before you decide to splurge on anything.
Waste not, want not!
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