Day 37 - My money, can I spend it the way I want?

There is a huge media coverage currently in India on the Austerity Drive being run by the UPA government in place. The political party in power suddenly seems to have woken up to the fact that the economy is not in a good shape while at the same time their ministers are spending on staying in 5 star hotels and traveling business class. The whole party suddenly seems to want to travel economy class in air or in a train or stay at regular guest houses.

The opposition party, of course, is calling it a complete sham (as expected) and calling it a symbol of hypocrisy. But that's expected from them. As was the fact that they raised a furor on Shahsi Tharoor's simple tweet about the austerity drive. Tharoor should have realised that politicians in India do not have a sense of humor and are always looking for chinks in the opposition party's politician's armor. But that's a different blog!

Here's some of the UPA government's largese on austerity:

• Sonia Gandhi travels economy class on domestic journey.
• Rahul Gandhi travels by train (Shatabdi).
• Pranab Mukherjee travels by economy class.
• SM Krishna & Tharoor vacate 5 star hotels.
• SM Krishna shuns his private jet and travels regular airlines.
• Somnath Chatterjee asks for his security to be removed.
• ................and I am sure there are many more that will come up in the next few days.

Is this a good thing? Absolutely......its good that our politicians will travel the same way that we do. Its good that the government money is being spent on austere measures and not on extravagant spend.

But what if it is my own money? What if I am trying to spend my own money? Should I be austere as well in these times?

I am of the opposite opinion.

If I am spending my own hard earned money, then nobody has the right to question me or comment on how I am spending that money. I have worked a large portion of my life, and will continue to work, to earn money and to ensure that I am able to give myself and my family a safe and happy life that they deserve or that they wish for. If I can afford to buy a house and furnish it with the best things, if I can afford to have a swanky car to drive around and if I can afford to travel business class on my own hard earned money, then why should I be required to justify that spend? After all I have worked and contributed to society to earn that money!

Socialists will mention that we don't need all those material things and by traveling by train instead of business class, the money saved can be contributed for a better good of society. My response to that is that I work so hard so that I get to a place where I can afford these things. Why should I deny myself the pleasure of material comforts when I have worked for them?

In my world austerity for government is good as they are spending the country's money. But at a personal level, I am all for capitalism.

I work hard, I earn money.....if I can afford it, I will spend!