Money seems to constantly be in our minds - from the moment we wake up, to the final seconds before we succumb to sleep. Although this does seem to be a rather common theme when it comes to adult life, over the last few years money has begun to become more and more a topic of concern for all ages. With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the world in 2020 it has had an array of negative effects on the economy and on people’s lives.
The Covid-19 pandemic was unlike anything our generation had seen before and it hit us all hard. With many of us simple believing we would have 3 weeks max off school, it later came as a weird reality to be looking back at the last 2 years of our lives that had been affected due to this virus. Many industries were hit heavily by the lockdowns that followed and this had a dramatic effect on economies and people’s jobs. With hospitality and non-essential shops all being closed many people lost their job and came into financial instability. We saw surges in crime and vandalism on the streets as people grew more and more desperate. It was unlike anything we had seen. Government cabinets were put into action to try and form ways to help those financially in need. It was all hands-on deck and everyone thinking the same thing of when will this end. Almost 2 years later we are still dealing the consequences of the pandemic, many shops were forced to permanently close due to being unable to pay their worker, put stock on the shelves or pay their rent. Now after these 2 years we have the new generation coming into their first years of university or going into full time work and they are having to experience the economy left behind by covid.
Personally, as a 2nd year student myself, I have felt the effect money has had on me. I am financially independent in the sense that I have a tuition loan of £9,000 to cover in university and a low maintenance loan which sadly only covers about half of my rent. Due to this, I do have to work to cover that half. For me, this means budgeting is a huge part of my life; from planning how much I can spend a week, to planning my shift schedules in advance, to making sure I can make my rent every 1st of the month. The situation I am in is one that many uni students relate to as well; working to pay their rent, feed themselves and party all at the same time.
So, does how tight a grip does money have on me?
A very tight grip, I do have to say. There are many occasions in which I have had to choose to not partake in an activity or a night out to save that little bit extra money or miss out on a holiday trip due to being at work. However, I don’t necessarily think it is necessarily bad to let money have a tight grip on you, as at the end of the day it is what makes the world go round and is at the forefront of our lives. For me, personally, I am proud that I can work, be in education and party all at the same time. To say that I paid my way through university is an achievement I believe, and it is something that I am happy to say. I also believe it is getting me ready for the real world when I do graduate and go onto get a full-time job in a profession I am interested where I will eventually know how to manage my money wisely. Another personal opinion of mine is the best managers and CEOs are people who have climbed their way up the work ladder, from working at Tesco to managing their own companies. That is exactly what I am doing - by working my way through university, I am gaining business experience for free that I will be able to implement in my future career.
As much as this economy is trying to rebuild itself back into what it was before Covid hit, there are many people like me who are ready to work and are excited by the prospect of having a career. This generation is what will fix the economy and bring life back into the business sector. So, to reiterate, money having a tight grip on you for the right reasons isn’t horrible, it’s when that reason turns bad that you will have a problem. Money is key to a lot of things, and if that brings you happiness and the future you want, then be prepared to work for it and your life will be bountiful.
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