Everyone would want to make enough money to live on for the rest of their life so they can only keep picking and enjoying without hustling. Not many achieve this feat. It’s hard to make money and even harder to retain it. Money is liquid, it always looks for easy, comfortable and familiar places where it can settle. Like water, it’s unlikely to settle where it has never been. Money hates sloping areas and in dry places (where it cannot hold). On a hilly area, it just slinks and finds its own level. When money goes somewhere, it invites its friends and relatives. When it is leaving it takes all of them again sometimes leaving behind traces of bones and skeletons. That’s why when someone has money, they are likely to keep getting more while those without keep losing even the little they had.
It’s easier to spend money than to keep it. Spending is easier than earning. There are many things you can spend on but the money to spend is always in short supply. That’s why no matter how much money one has, they will always need more simply because the expenditure curve keeps ascending. Money is a store if wealth but liquid money is even harder to store or to keep. Money loses value over time. Every currency soon depreciates. The rate could be different but money will never stay the same over a long period of time.
The US dollar has lost almost 10% of its value since 1960. A commodity that cost One Dollar in USA in 1960 now costs $10. The rate of inflation in America has been relatively stable over the years. On the other hand, the British pound has lost almost 23% of its value since 1960. A commodity that went for 100 pounds in London in 1960 now costs 2,300 pounds in the current year 2023. The Uganda shillings in 1960 was equivalent to $0.54. Something that cost one hundred shillings in Kampala in 1960 now goes for 200,000 shillings at the current rate. This means Uganda’s currency has lost more than 1000% of its value in the last sixty three years.
Some people say that money doesn’t have value in the first place. It’s either paper or coins. By themselves these have no value whatsoever. It’s rather the perceived value which is backed by governments that issue such money. When government decrees that a certain paper is money with a certain value, the public is obliged to accept and to start using it to settle obligations. In real essence though the value is only in something that particular paper purchases.
Money by itself is valueless. However we have to acknowledge that in the present age, money is the best alternative possible for settling obligations. It’s a far better choice that barter trade where goods were exchanged for goods which was by far an unjust system. So how can someone guarantee their money doesn’t lose value over time and in fact makes more money for them instead? First, you will need to understand that the reason why your money loses value is because of government which prints more money every other year to balance its spending.
Secondly you will need to realize that there isn’t much you can do to your government. Having done this, you will have to rationalize your spending and investing. Depending on how old you are, you will have to choose between long term and short term investments based on your age. If you are younger, you may have the luxury of saving in long term risky ventures since you still have a lot of time ahead of you. If you are mature on the other hand, you will have to be extra cautious and invest in less risky ventures where returns are low but assured. In the meantime you have to contend with the fact that money loses values fast and even faster when you are in poor country.
To keep the value of money, you will have to work harder both at your job and ensuring that even when government nibbles at your savings and investments, it will not be able to deplete all but you will be left with some to take you through this hard life. Money is not everything but everything is money. If everything is money, then money is everything. As long as you are alive, try making as much money as possible. Money softens life.