Financial Literacy?

I attended a virtual financial festival of sorts last weekend. 

I was expecting to learn things. 

But in the end, it was the same old thing being said.

The reason for these sorts of things is to increase financial literacy.

But what is financial literacy?

To understand your money better? To handle your finances better?

One of the main things that was said in the financial festival and everywhere else was that young  people should start saving for retirement or just saving for a rainy day. 

I do admit that, yes, financial literacy is important. You should know how to handle your finances. 

But I find it a little tone deaf sometimes to generalise an entire generation by saying things like, you young people need to start saving.

While some young people might need to learn to save, not everyone is in the same boat. Did it ever occur to some people that, there might be a reason why young people or people in general can't save?

Maybe because we earn too little. Maybe because we have huge commitments (if they are the eldest in their families and their parents aren't well off, maybe they are paying for the whole family)

A little compassion will go a long way. 

It irks me because when I first got my first job, I could barely save too.

And that's me. 

I live with my parents. I only take care of my own spending and my student loan. But my student loan took a huge chunk off.

So now every time I hear, people should save more, I always feel like saying, maybe pay them better?

I know some people will say, go and do side jobs or have a side hustle.

Not everyone wants that life.

I don't want to waste my time, working for cash.

I want a balanced life. 

I decided pretty early on that my peace of mind mattered to me.

So I rather have a job that pays okay but allows me to have my free time during weekends or off hours so that I can indulge in my hobbies.

You know, it used to be a world where a job could sustain a family.

But now, that seems to have disappeared and I often wondered what happened to that.

If you ask me, I still believe that everyone should be paid a full days wage for a full days work. A wage that will give you a decent life.