# Spend Money with Awareness

A ride-hailing trip costs 30 yuan—equivalent to a month of public transportation; the price of a Starbucks drink could buy a case of milk.

A pair of AJ sneakers at 1,500 yuan equals half a month's living expenses for a couple; a hot pot meal at 200 yuan could get you 5 pounds of pork, 1 pound of chicken wings, 30 eggs, 10 pounds of rice, plus a bottle of oil.

An Apple iPhone over 10,000 yuan is enough to buy an air conditioner, washing machine, TV, robot vacuum, oven, microwave—a complete set of home appliances.

Spending money requires perspective: spend according to your means.

Don't let consumerism brainwash you. Don't blindly follow trends and comparisons.

I have a buddy who knows how to spend and how to earn. His life motto is: "You have to know how to spend to know how to earn."

Some people admire him and learn from his spending habits. But after half a year, they can't pay their monthly bills, credit card debt keeps piling up, and they realize they never truly understood their own financial capacity—they were just blindly following trends.

Saving money also requires perspective.

Save 1,000 yuan a month, and you have 12,000 yuan a year.

Don't think 12,000 yuan is insignificant:

This money gives you three months to breathe when you can't take your job anymore and want to resign;

It gives you the confidence to resettle when your landlord runs off with your deposit or kicks you out.

Don't skip saving small amounts; great challenges require reserves. Building wealth grain by grain is true security.