People have been demanding lesser working hours so that they can have more time for themselves, not realizing that this will be detrimental to their finances. They only want to work eight hours a day and get excited when holidays come because these give them the chance to pursue their other interests. But whenever this happens, I feel sad because I know they will soon not have enough to save and invest.
There was a time when most countries in Europe demanded a four-day work week so that they can have three days to rest and enjoy themselves. The world watched with envy and hoped that the model would work so that other countries could follow suit. Today, many countries in Europe are bankrupt and I believe that a shortened workweek is the reason why this is so. By working only four days in a week, they ended up spending more than what they were earning. Only countries like Germany survived because they believed hard work is important in sustaining their economy.
Why don't we have more money to save that we can invest in stocks or businesses? It is because most Filipinos want to work only eight hours a day so that they can spend four hours to do whatever they want. By doing so, they end up spending the money they earned in eight hours during the four hours they intended to rest. Then they also want to work only five days a week, and so end up spending the rest of their salary during the last two days of the week.
Am I suggesting that we be a slave to work? Of course not! I am a person who wants to enjoy many things in life too. But I will enjoy them as a reward and not as a habit. Do you want to have more money to save and invest? Then, be willing to work more so that you will spend less. Proverbs 28:19 (NLT) says, "A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty."
