Monthly Archives: January 2012

5 quirky Saving Tips from Former Bosses

How I looked at money completely changed the day I read Rich Dad Poor Dad, especially since I worked for 5 bosses who (despite spending millions just the way they wanted) had some quirky saving habits, which in most quarters would have raised eyebrows. So while their quirky (or not-so-quirky) ways are revealed below, their names have been changed to ensure their reputation for such shameful cheapness is safe and sound.

Cheap shoes for me, please!

He spends U$$ 4,000 on just one night in a boutique hotel but simply refuses to spend anything above U$$ 25 on a pair of shoes. His argument? I rather spend good money on something that is rare and unique than these fancy branded shoes that end up biting dust after just one year.

Who cares about designer stubble?

This former boss of mine drives a U$$ 350,000 Range Rover, which has all the right bells and whistles. But while he is addicted to his toys, he never spends more than U$$ 2 for a haircut. His argument or rather his question is – Why would I spend U$$ 50 for someone to cut my hair?

No way am I spending more for just a seat!

I would have thought that this boss of mine who ran a retail clothes company would have loved to travel in comfort. Clearly not. While he always made a big show of whipping out his Platinum HSBC card, he always ended up booking Economy seats, whenever he travelled.

Island coffee will suit me fine!

A former lady boss of mine drove a sweet-looking Mercedes, spent thousands of dollars on trips abroad, diamond jewellery, fusion cuisine and designer clothes. But she scoffs at the idea of drinking coffee at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Why? Because “these places” are way too expensive for a cup of coffee.

When is the next year-end sale?

He runs a multinational company with thousands of employees. He has got a soft spot for golfing and Cuban cigars. Still he manages to run with the rest of the bourgeoisies to the year-end clothes sales.

While I have always been a person to save as much as I can, I’d be lying if I said I did not learn something from these corporate leaders. For sure, the way they spent on certain things may seem like madness to some but I realized it is all to do with (1.) their net worth, and (2.) perceived value. For instance, if my net worth is U$D 15 million, spending a little under half a million dollars on a European sports car is not much in the grand scheme of things.

I would love to hear about any zany saving tips that have worked well for you, and you are most welcome to share your thoughts in the comment box below. I am not here to judge or to preach but as the recent recession showed, it would be prudent to save as much as you can. After all, as Eliza Davison (John D. Rockefeller’s mother) warned – Willful waste makes woeful want.

Au revoir mademoiselle

I sat down with trepidation that day expecting to say good bye in an awkward way. One of my closest friends at work was going to get married and then start a new life in Trichy. All this happened within a matter of weeks. I kept thinking that even though we try to plan things in life, nothing really goes according to plan.

I was feeling accustomed to the New Age vibes that were emanating from the speakers at Gallery Cafe and, at the moment, in she walks, graceful as a swan and brown as chocolate. As she sat and the conversation started, I realized that even when huge changes do happen in life, we learn to adjust. After all, what else can we do?

I suddenly needed something that would fire up my neurons with gusto and ordered arrack on ice. That did the trick. After awhile the conversation shifted to more aimless territories. The farewell chapter was drawing to a close and even though I reiterated my desire to go to her wedding, I knew that it was not a journey I will have the time or effort to make. So we said a good bye and parted ways.

Sometimes in order to think and contemplate things, I need to eat (usually something decadent). As I dug into the layers of tiramisu cream and sponge soaked in coffee liqueur, I thought of her and her: random mutterings of French, wholesale dedication to her job, her love of pomegranate juice, her trips to Coco Veranda and her insistent love for art. As I bit into that last red cherry, the only question that hung like a cloud in my mind was – Will I ever see her again?

 

Unveiling the Poem Person

I know what writers have to go through. It is not pretty. What we do is disembowel our emotions to bring to you things that you already know but still never knew. We create and capture magic that is as tender as gossamer. This is what all artists do. And at most times they are hardly acknowledged, respected or paid.

Half a decade or so ago, I came across a person. Throughout those years, I have seen this person hit rock bottom and then painfully climb from whatever hellish abyss he was in to flourish. I have seen him fall in love and then fall out of it. He is now at his zenith. He is the Head of Creative in Bates Asia (Sri Lanka).

His creative campaigns have won awards and his personality attracts clients and friends much like starved mosquitoes to red hot blood. While it may seem that I am happily ladling out copious amounts of flattery, the truth is he is not without a side that is dark and dangerous.

Do I detect a bit of Sylvia Plath is his poetry? There is just an inkling of vulnerability that borders on madness. I wonder where he has been in his head to write (on occasion) such tumultuous words. On some level, I know what he has gone through to write those poems he holds so dear. To strip naked and be vulnerable to the rest of the world takes a shitload of courage. I respect him for that.

He published his first book of poetry a few days back and is hard at work getting it into various bookstores and outlets. If and when you do read it, remember what you do see thumping between those letters and words are his emotions – reeking of pain, joy, anguish and bliss.

The words that are crafted so well belongs to Dinesh. He is the Poem Person.

Chocolate bliss!

I spent an incredible evening with a bud of mine at the Gallery Cafe in Colombo. (Rumor has it that Paul McCartney and Kate Moss dined here on the sly. But then, it may just be a rumor.)

I won’t lie. This place is a temple of sorts for me. Besides the fact that it satiates your appetite, your entire being is suffused with various smells, sounds and sights. Yet the best part of this whole dining experience is that every time I come here, it is still new. It’s true, we ate a lot and we certainly talked a lot.

But most of all, we solved the world’s problems and ate chocolate mousse. Trust me, every bite was a different journey. To have your own blissful experience, go make a reservation.