I am not against financial discipline. Nor am I defending those who waste.
But I have noticed a new breed: “The Chrometophobic,” those who fear spending even when they have more than enough, even on what they truly need.
For them, money is never just money. Every rupee spent today feels like a fortune lost over the next ten years. Is there anything wrong in saving carefully? Honestly, No.
But watch closely.
When a monthly bill arrives, the spendthrift suffers only if they cannot pay. The fearful one suffers even when they can, as if their money is vanishing.
When an emergency comes, the spendthrift panics because they saved nothing. The fearful one panics because the savings they built must now be spent, and earned all over again.
When a real need appears, the spendthrift is distressed because they have no money. The fearful one is distressed because they do, but cannot find a way to avoid spending it.
And the suffering does not stay within. The fearful one cannot bear those who live differently. They judge and label and wait with distress, almost every day, for the free-spirited to fail miserably, so they can call their trauma wisdom.
We earn and save for peace of mind. But if peace is what we sacrifice every single day, what exactly are we saving?
— SCD Balaji
