What if Money Was No Object?

During my time at university (Hertfordshire) I often asked people what it was they wanted to do upon graduating and I always pretty much got the same answer. People generally didn't care or didn't know what they wanted to do as long as it paid alot of money. For me, this is a sorry state of affairs and is frankly quite depressing.


          Agreed, how much money we can earn is important when it comes to work. However for me, this only goes as far as being able to pay the bills, paying off the mortgage and being able to set aside a little each month for a rainy day or going on holiday every now and then. For the students I talked to, the emphasis they placed on earning money went further than that. Then when I asked them what they would do with all this extra money they never had a good answer. My impression was that the majority simply wanted to earn the extra money simply for the sake of earning money. For the the right to say they have x amount of money in the bank or to compare themselves positively against their peers.


          For me, this focus people have on earning money simply for the sake of it and for the right to say they have more money then their peers is not only depressing, but shows the lack of maturity and a lack of appreciation of what they already have often affiliated with the young. This difference in mentality often alienated me other students during my time at Hertfordshire and I was often referred to as being a bit "weird" or a bit "strange" because of it. And I am perfectly happy with that.


          People who know me will probably say that this is a bit rich coming for me. This being due to me managing my money like a hawk and wanting to work as a tax or performance management accountant. However, the money I save isn't there for the sake of it but for specific reasons. This is due to my wish to pay for my own exam fees over the next few years. This means I will have the ability to focus simply on finding a job I enjoy in an environment I enjoy working in and with the flexibility to move if I feel the time is right. This is while other students may end up committing themselves to a job for three to five years only to find out a year down the line that they no longer enjoy it. All this simply to have their employers pay their fees for them and save a little money. For me, this isn't worth committing three years of my life working somewhere I potentially may not enjoy. This is why I save my money, to have the flexibility to do a job I actually enjoy when it comes to leaving uni, that and saving up for a deposit on a mortgage for my future home.


          When it comes to me working potentially as a tax or performance management accountant, even though these people can potentially earn alot of money, this isn't why I want to work in these areas. I want to work in these areas because I enjoy them. The need for creativity and problem solving ability is something I enjoy and something I would thrive upon in any work I may do in the future.


          While looking through YouTube one day I came across the video shown above entitled "What if money was no object" and it is this that gave me the inspiration for this blog. Yes, it would be nice to earn loads of money. However, as long as I have enough to pay the bills at the end of the month and to eventually pay off the mortgage, for me, earning money is secondary to doing a job that I love and having a home and a family to come home to at the end of each day.


          You're more than simply the money in your wallet or the prestige of a fancy job title. The kindness of your heart and the way you treat others regardless of who they are or there they come from, that's what defines who you are as a person and what people will remember you for. This might sound cheesy, but so be it. I am perfectly happy to stand by these views even if some may consider them "weird" or "strange".


          I'll simply finish off by saying that yes, it's important to earn enough to pay the bills and the mortgage etc so that you're financially secure. But doing work you enjoy and having a family to come home to is more important than earning money simply for the sake of it or to say that you earn more than you peers. To think otherwise in my view would be immature and short sighted and often proves to be a regret people often have in their later years. This I feel is what alot of accounting/finance students at Hertfordshire uni always failed to grasp and they'll always be poorer for it.


Thanks for reading,

Jason Cates