keluhan ni aku jumpa yg kawan post kat facebook..Nadot yg share siapa punya ntah.. ada betulnya jugak post ni..
Tima kasih la kepada yang tulis this artikel.
Spend based on who you are, not who you want to be.
Kebanyakkan yang komplen ni dia dulu-duluan yang shopping
macam nak rak. Pastu bingit-bingit. Kalau mampu, kenapa bising2....
For whom has the cost of living gone up?
..
Last Saturday, my friend YS was sitting at Starbucks. While
drinking his RM 15 Java Chip Frappuchino grande, it occurred to him that
the cost of living has gone up. He complained about it to me.
Sunday, YS and his colleagues decided to try a new place for lunch. Someone had
highly recommended a seafood joint near Port Klang. So the 4 of them drove
there and had a sumptuous lunch. They paid RM 286. While driving back to the
office, it occurred to him that the cost of living has gone up. He complained
about it to me.
Monday, YS went to the Megamall to buy 2 iPads – one for himself and the other
for his son. Cost him a little over RM 3000 for both (with accessories). While
walking back to the jockey to retrieve his car, it occurred to him that the
cost of living has gone up. He complained about it to me.
Tuesday, YS took the family out for dinner. They went to a steakhouse near Pavillion.
He said the ambience was great, food was fantastic and for dessert, the apple
pie with ice-cream was simply heavenly. While paying the bill (RM340), it
occurred to him that the cost of living has gone up. He complained about it to
me.
Wednesday, YS was at KLIA enroute to a meeting in JB. He saw this
very nice red silk tie on sale for RM 175. He couldn’t resist and bought it
immediately. While paying, it occurred to him that the cost of living has
gone up. He complained about it to me.
YS is annoyed because he feels that the cost of living has gone up.
.
.
Well, YS is an idiot. Well there is nothing wrong in enjoying luxuries if you
can afford it. It is your money after all. But do not bitch about cost of
living going up. Starbucks, iPads, RM 175 neckties and stuffing yourself silly
are not “cost of living” issues. [** YS is obviously fictional but not really
different from many Malaysians]
Have you been wondering why there are so many high end shops and restaurants
sprouting up everywhere? It is the demand, silly. Shops and restaurants cater
for the demand. If Malaysians did not patronize these shops, the owners won’t
be opening them like crazy. The reason so many high end shops and expensive
restaurants are opening up is very simple. Malaysians are patronising them
(despite bitching about the so-called higher cost of living)
The rich patronizing high-end shops and purchasing high-end goods have a
cascading effect. It is called the “keeping up with the Joneses” effect. The
people a step below try to keep up with the rich by moving up in the
types of goods and services that they purchase. It is the same every level
downwards. Instead of buying goods and services that really need, people end up
with things that they could barely afford and luxuries that they really don’t
need.
The cost of living does not go up all by itself. Did you think that the cost of
living is a magic thing – decides to go up or down at its whims and fancies? If
you did think so, then you are an idiot too. The cost of goods and services
depends on demand and supply. When demand grows faster than supply, the price will
go up. [I know some of you will argue that government policies and taxes control
prices.... but the point is even with the taxes, there is still a big
demand for things]. Of course, there are unscrupulous practices and bad
policies which can influence prices of certain goods – but for the national
economy as a whole, these are not the main drivers.
What do you tell someone who earns RM 1200 a month and yet wants to buy a RM
1800 smart phone? What do you tell a fresh graduate who earns RM 2200 a month and
yet wants to buy a RM 180,000 car? What do you tell someone who earns RM 1600 a
month and yet frequents Starbucks every other day? All three complain that the
cost of living has gone up. I simply call it trying to live beyond your means.
People don’t seem to realise that they, collectively, are responsible
for the increasing cost of living. The government has limited control over the
price of goods and services. As long as people are consuming more luxurious
stuff, in greater quantities and in greater frequency, the prices of goods and
services will continue going up. Stop blaming the government, business people,
the Americans, the Jews and others – YOU ARE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE.
Soalan cepumas : Can you name me one country in this world where the people DO
NOT complain that prices of goods and services are high?
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