13/08/2024 Podcast Refletion

Today's podcast:

搞钱女孩 躺平搭子:170W敢在上海躺平?40+姐姐亲测两年,存款不降反升!

Today, I went bouldering with a friend I met last Sunday. I had attended a social event that day, which was focused on people who are looking for new jobs—a situation I currently find myself in. I paid £12 to join, even though I didn’t know the host. As I listened to the stories shared, I felt disconnected, as though I was the only one truly struggling with my job search. At the time, I thought I had wasted my time and doubted I would ever contact any of them again, even though I added them all on social media.

However, later on, one of the girls reached out to me, and we started talking more. That’s how we decided to hang out for bouldering today, followed by a nice dinner. Life is unpredictable—you never know what might happen, and it often unfolds in ways you never expected.

I didn’t go jogging today since I went bouldering, but I listened to a podcast on the tube. The topic really impressed me: it was about the courage it takes to live in Shanghai, probably the most expensive city in China, without a stable job. Listening to their stories, I realized that living such a life isn’t as unattainable as it seems; it just requires the courage to keep going. I strongly agree with the idea that how you choose to spend money is a key value that can bring people together. Once they decided not to work and live on a minimal budget, they had to let go of their previous luxury lifestyles, carefully consider every purchase, and do most things themselves rather than paying others.

I often complain that my standard of living has dropped significantly since moving to the UK—I can’t spend as freely, I check prices even for groceries, and I rarely eat out. But for these two girls, this way of living is normal. They know what they want: a simple life with minimal desires. If I had fewer desires and focused more on saving and investing, I could still live a good life, even with the high cost of living here.

Sometimes, you might think you’re poor or can’t save money because you earn too little. But maybe it’s because you don’t know how to save or because you spend too much on unnecessary things. These girls are living a life where their earnings just cover their expenses, but they’re still happy with it.