Bengalureans take their masala dosa very seriously. Seriously. Searching for the perfect dosa is a popular weekend occupation. I remember a popular middle that was entirely devoted to the subject of how a masala dosa is eaten. Having observed the different styles of eating the much-loved dosa, the author then connected it with the personality characteristics of the gourmand!
It is the potato stuffing that makes all the difference -the most valued part of the masala dosa. And how one partakes of it is the style. You see, one can keep eating the dosa from one end to another and enjoying the stuffing as it comes. It may not be the same quantity or composition in every bite, but that’s life. Some eat carefully so that the potato lasts till the very last bite of dosa. And then there are those who are so careful that they have stuffing leftover even after they have finished the dosa. Criminal. (If you know what I mean).
The art of balancing our present and the future is similar. In the fear of not having enough to live your life after retirement, you become miserly, saving aggressively for the future and forgetting to enjoy the present. Some die poor, some die rich. And then there are those who die rich because they lived poor. I do know that the ones who are able to master this fine art are those that have a financial plan.
So how do you want to live your life?
T. Srikanth Bhagavat
Managing Director & Principal Advisor
Very apt anology to describe the behavior
1-Live life king size today( present) ,but not at the cost of tomorrow (future.). Today will not come back but no fun in living tomorrow, if it is not better than today.
2- Buy any thing as long as it is value buying ( in your view)and you need it.
Good one Srikanth. It is always the right balance that is needed in eating Masada dossa as well as financial planning .
The Middle Path….the best path! Thanks, Nilesh.
Differentiating between needs and wants is in itself a life skill. But once made aware, one remains conscious of it.
Everyone has a number for savings that they need at retirement to lead a lifestyle that they are comfortable with so that it will last expected lifetime. This should include monthly expenses, vacation, medical expenses etc. Actuaries can give this number, what is the life expectancy given your current age. Note that this will change every year. Any assets above that number is something you can consider as a buffer. This can cover for any unexpected expenses, increase in longevity or inflation. At some point you will have to talk a call on what you will do with assets that you will know will be left over after your death, e.g. distributed for your favorite causes or distributed to your children or your pet dog etc.
Yes, Adhi. The exercise of financial planning that we do for our clients results in such a clarity. Like daylight after night!
The comparison of eating Masala Dosa with the way life can be planned is wonderful way of analysis of once life’s goals and the way you go about achieving it.
If one is conscious about what he wants then he can learn from everything around him/her.
Bang on. That is the most important part – to know what ones goals are. It is like saying, identifying the problem is half the solution. After that one is naturally tuned to looking for the solution in every place.