Those who had savings had something to pull out for food and other expenses during the lockdown. Those who had been spending whatever money they made were the most pitiful who had to beg or borrow from friends and relatives in order to have some food on the table. Luxurious items don’t count during crises. If you could pawn these like jewelry, it might tide you over for a short time, but at a great loss due to high interest. And you would lose even more if you will not be able to redeem these as their pawn value would just be a fraction of their actual worth. If there is anything you should remember during difficult times, cash is king during crises.
While incurring debts might be something we cannot avoid during dire circumstances, or to finance business operations, the ideal, however, was what Shakespeare intoned a long time ago, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be; / For loan oft loses both itself and friend.” This means also that you don’t have to borrow during rainy days if you , a nest egg to rely on.
How to save? The secret is to live simply. The next question is, how can one be happy by living simply? The key phrase is, “non-luxurious living.” That one should get his contentment or happiness not by splurging money or through ways that are materialistic in nature. Related to this is the principle that the more you have, the more stress or problems you have to endure. For there is always a negative side to anything that smacks of materialism. Want a luxury model of a car? Its maintenance would often cost you an arm and a leg. If intellectual progress is what makes you happy, it also has its downside. It is a lot cheaper though than running after material things.
As one spiritual guru used to emphasize, the only kind of progress without a negative side is spiritual progress.
The bottom line is to get your happiness through ways that are not expensive. Engaging in a hobby that is normal in terms of its monetary cost might be one way. Or getting involved in sports that are within your means. Playing in the neighborhood basketball court is cheap. Flying a plane from island to island is only for the multimillionaires. Others get satisfied by just walking around, others by biking, while others by gardening which can even be profitable to boot.
Those who live simply and who are used to it can weather any crisis. They are usually the most resilient because discipline and self-control are integral parts of their lifestyle. Such are also what enable people to be industrious, resulting in some savings on the side. **