Spending Wisely
I did say in the opening of this discussion that no expense is foolish. Any time you spend money; there is always a good reason for it. However, you need to ensure not to part with your hard-earned income when unnecessary. I know how tough it is to curb impromptu spending, but you can do better with the following tips:-
– Make a list of necessary things to buy
– Find out the cost and make provision for it
– Avoid carrying cash or credit card around
– Make saving a priority
– Learn to delay purchasing an item until you have compared the prices in at least three places
– Think of replacing your last expenditure with additional income
You can train yourself to ask these questions to determine the necessity of an expense before doing it:
– Can I do without this and it won’t hurt my living?
– Will this expense add to my net worth or just a momentary enjoyment?
– How often do I use this and when was the last time I used it?
– How quickly can I replace the money I will spend on this item back into my saving account?
If your answer is confusing, you probably can postpone this expense without hurting your living.
Use credit finance wisely
America, the Land of Credit
America is a land of credit; unlike in Africa where getting credit is like a camel passing through the eye of the needle, you can get a loan with the flip of your fingers in the US. However, easy obtaining credit might be, always remember it’s a responsibility you cannot fail to meet. Therefore, you have to maintain a high level of discipline with your credit. Like you do with your earned cash, you should know that credit facility is money taken in advance before you made it. This means you to be frugal and monitor your credit carefully. Never default in servicing your loan to earn a good credit rating. If you have a good credit record, sustaining yourself on credit card is guaranteed.
Sincerity is the key
If your current earning is below the annual national minimum income, you are considered to be on a low income otherwise described as living below the poverty line! Although your situation is not as bad as it may seem, you can make it worse if you are not sincere with your case.
As, Groucho Marx, the renowned American comedian, and writer, puts it: “sincerity is the key to success… if you can fake that, you’ll have it made.”
Contained in Groucho’s simple and comedic quote is the word of wisdom for African immigrants who desire to live the American dream.
Who cares if you survive or you don’t? But you are the only one who does, and that is why you need to go the extra mile to make your sincerity work for you.
Fake it or mean it, your sincerity is the dividing line between continued survival and living. I bet you know there is a wall of difference between a surviving immigrant and a living one. While the former whines and squeezes his face all day complaining about how hard and harsh life in the US is, the latter is busy expanding his territories, forming alliances, making more money and enjoying life at its best.
In Closing
In a nutshell, your chances of success in the US are as bright as your sincerity and commitment to what is essential in your evolution process. If you want to fake your sincerity, better make it count because two people don’t lose in the lying game. If the person being lied to didn’t know, the liar sure knows he’s lying!
In closing, one thing is sure with being an African immigrant in the US; you are on the course of greener pasture! How green your stay in the US will be, depends mainly on how much you are willing to learn, persevere, and change to meet the needs of your new home.
Welcome to America, brother!
Mikhail Adeoye
Mikhail is a content creator, a digital marketer, and an entrepreneur. He studied Political Science at the University of Ilorin Nigeria.
