Trading Time or Buying Freedom

A Letter from your friend, a Financial Independence Proponent

Dear Friend, I have been there, right in the mud. Lend me your ear for some encouragement.

Things clearly aren’t moving ahead. It feels like no matter what you do, you’re stuck.
It reminds me of when I used to herd cattle. Occasionally, one would get stuck in the mud, and no matter how hard it tried, it just sank deeper. If this is you, my friend, don’t panic, assess the situation, and no judgments.

People get stuck, too, not just cattle. Yes, in the mud it’s happened to me before. The harder you work, the poorer you feel and the more stuck you remain.

Why is doing nothing keeping you broke

Let’s be real. You probably get a salary every month and, for the most part, higher than that of most of my friends. How do I know that? Easy. Your lifestyle shows it. It tells me you have access to some money.

Ever seen someone with no access to a healthy salary? Whatever “healthy” means to you. The problem here isn’t access to money; it’s the willingness to do what it takes. Or maybe, more honestly, doing what it takes. I suppose you are willing.

Most people know that bingeing on alcohol isn’t good for their health, or that smoking kills. It’s not about knowing or even wanting to change; it’s about doing. Without discipline and action, you can pray all you want, but God has already moved. He’s waiting for you to move.

Being stuck isn’t the problem; we’re human, from time to time, we get stuck.
Staying stuck is.
It’s the inaction, the quiet acceptance that “this is just how things are.”

Procrastination is destroying your financial progress

You can do something.

You’ll find R100 to play with in sports betting every week, but you have zero in your emergency fund. You’re always up for Friday drinks but never up for a gym session. Don’t tell me gym fees are expensive; they are. So why are you still paying and not going?

Why pay for a membership and never exercise? That’s like paying for a full DStv bouquet but never watching Test cricket, only watching Come Dine with Me. You might as well livestream then.

That’s why you have more books on your shelves than you have ever read, let alone lived by. I remember that Zoom call. I saw Atomic Habits and How to Make Your First Million by Warren Ingram on your bookshelf. Funny thing is, you still can’t cover a R1,000 emergency. If you had followed Warren’s money advice, you could be cashing in on dividends each month, and possibly you could be far ahead by now.

Last time you had a tyre puncture, you were in tears, calling your cousin for R250 to fix it. You’ve got the latest iPhone but no data to make a WhatsApp call. Instead, you sent a “please call me” and waited for your cousin to ring you back on a Durban 031 landline.

Credit card? Forget it, maxed out.
You had a blast at Sun Coast over the long weekend, feeling lucky at the casino every night and taking chances, hoping to cash in big. After all, if you don’t take a chance, there’s no hope, right?

Wake up, you’re on fire! Call emergency services because a fire extinguisher won’t help. The fire’s too big. You’ll be reduced to a muddy zombie if you don’t act today, not “Monday, it’s too far.”

Why waiting for the “right time” is hurting your finances

You’ve said it before: “I’ll start on Monday,” or “next month.” It’s even on your resolutions list: “Start on January 1st.” Too late! You should’ve started last year. No need to wait for the New Year again to start, 15 March still counts.

If this is you, my friend, you’re suffering from a serious condition: procrastination.
You’ve delayed the start long enough.
Starting is the only cure.

Save just R200 a month. By the end of the year, you’ll be able to pay for the next tyre repair. Have you seen how many potholes in your neighbourhood?
Remember James Clear’s lesson from Atomic Habits that 1% improvement compounds over time 📈 and leads to real change. In fact, the British cycling Team Sky, won the Tour de France by bringing pillows to the hotel while on tour. That’s Atomic Habits at work; one simple habit at a time becomes a massive change over time.

Building wealth slowly: The power of consistency

Every brick house is built one brick at a time, at least in South Africa. In America, it seems they build houses in hours, on reality TV 😜.

My point is, staying where you are will only keep you where you are stuck in the mud.

Take this as a motivational letter from a friend. You can change your life one 🪜 step at a time. When climbing the ladder, don’t skip steps, or you’ll tumble back into the mud.

You know the drill. Check out some of my saving and investing lessons on the blog to get going.
This was just a moment, friend to friend. No need to die in the mud; there’s a way out. And no shame in admitting reality, it happens.

Use a portion of your salary to buy freedom from financial mud and live a better, more meaningful life. After reading this letter, what one financial habit can you implement in your personal finances?

Don’t tell me, tell yourself, and do the one thing that can free you from the financial mud. My friend, this is how wealth is created, little by little. No need to cash in big in the casino, forget the lottery too; it’s another gamble like sports betting. Normal people rarely win this game.