The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Re-Re Book
(Book Review and Resume)
What book I've read?
What statement I highlighted?
What the lesson I learned from the book?
Here I write down that all.
Bercerita tentang beberapa orang Babylon dan kiat-kiat mereka mengelola keuangan sehingga menjadikan mereka sebagai salah satu kaum paling kaya dan maju pada masanya.
Rules-rules finansial dikemas dalam cerita yang ringan. Dengan gaya mendongeng, asik sekali mengikutinya. Walaupun bahasa Inggrisnya agak susah karena menggunakan ejaan Old English seperti thy, thou, dan lainnya. But...buat aku yang waktu itu awam, buku ini menarik.
Ini beberapa kalimat dan kutipan yang ku tandai.
Our prosperity as a nation depends upon the personal financial prosperity of each of us as individuals.
Our acts can be no wiser than out thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.
Money is the medium by which earthly success is measured. Money makes possible the enjoyment of the best the earth affords. Money is plentiful for those who understand the simple laws which govern its acquisition.
Wealth is a power. With wealth many things are possible.
If I was to achieve what I desired, time and study would be required.
Kutipan ini mengajarkan bahwa mengelola keuangan personal sangat memengaruhi jalannya ekonomi suatu bangsa atau negara. Dengan melek finansial, kita akan membelanjakan uang dengan bijak, tidak akan terjebak investasi bodong, aware dengan pasar saham lokal yang menjanjikan seperti IDX, dan sebagainya.
Kutipan ini juga mengajarkan bahwa uang memang bukan segalanya di dunia ini. Akan tetapi, ada banyak hal yang dapat dilakukan dengan uang. Mulai dari memenuhi kebutuhan, memuaskan ego, beramal, dan sebagainya.
Dan...yang terpenting adalah...dibutuhkan keinginan dan usaha untuk belajar terus-menerus guna memahami personal finance ini.
As for study, did not our wise teacher teach us that learning was of two kinds: the one kind being the things we learned and knew, and the other being the training that taught us how to find out what we did not know?
A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. It can be as much more as you can afford. Pay yourself first. Do not buy from clothes-maker and the sandal-maker more than you can pay out of the rest and still have enough for food and charity and penance to the gods. Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade.
And next time if you would have advice about jewels, go to the jewel merchant. If you would know the truth about sheep, go to the herdsman. Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you take only what is worth having. He who takes advice about his savings from one who is inexperienced in such matters, shall pay with his savings for proving the falsity of their opinions.
You have learned your lessons well. You first learned to live upon less than you could earn. Next you learned to seek advice from those who were competent through their own experiences to give it. And, lastly, you have learned to make gold work for you. You have taught yourself how to acquire money, how to keep it, and how to use it.
Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared.
Will power is but the unflinching purpose to carry a task you set for yourself to fulfillment. If I set for myself a task, be it ever so trifling, I shall see it through. When I set a task for myself, I complete it. Therefore, I am careful not to start difficult and impractical tasks, because I love leisure.
If what you tell is true, and it does seem as you have said, reasonable, then being so simple, if all men did it, there would not be enough wealth to go around.
Wealth grows in magic ways. No man can prophesy the limit of it.
A part of all I earn is mine to keep. Say it in morning when you first arise. Say it at noon. Say it at night. Say it each of every day. Say it to yourself until the words stand out like letters of fire across the sky.
Impress yourself with the idea. Fill yourself with the thought. Then take whatever portion seems wise. Let it be not less than one-tenth and lay it by. Arrange your other expenditures to do this if necessary. But lay by that portions first. Soon you will realize what a rich feeling it is to own a treasure upon which you alone have claim. As it grows it will stimulate you. A new joy of life will thrill you. Greater efforts will come to you to earn more.
Then learn to make your treasure work for you. Make it your slave. Make its children and its children's children work for you.
Insure an income for thy future. Look thou at the aged and forget not that in the days to come thou also will be numbered among them, Therefore, invest thy treasure with greatest caution that it be not lost. Usurious rates of return are deceitful sirens that sing but to lure the unwary upon the rocks of loss and remorse.
Provide also that thy family may not want should the gods call thee to their realms. For such protection it is always possible to make provision with small payment at regular intervals. Therefore the provident man delays not in expectation of a large sum becoming available for such a wise purpose.
Counsel with wise men. Seek the advice of men whose daily is handling money. Let them save you from such an error as I myself made in entrusting my money to the judgement of Azmur, the brickmaker. A small return and a safe one is far more desirable than risk.
Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much. If one-tenth of all you earn is as much as you can comfortably keep, be content to keep this portion. Live otherwise according to your income and let not yourself get niggardly and afraid to spend. Life is good and life is rich with things worthwhile and things to enjoy.
Semua ini adalah Seven Cures for a Lean Purse. Dengan cara mendongen, tokoh di buku ini memberikan petuah mengenai cara mengelola income, tentang seberapa banyak yang boleh digunakan, seberapa banyak yang seharusnya ditabung, dan seberapa banyak yang seharusnya diinvestasikan, sehingga kekayaan tersebut dapat bertumbuh.
Tokoh ini juga mengajarkan bahwa carilah saran keuangan pada yang ahli, pada mereka yang memang mengerti mengenai keuangan.
Ia juga mengajarkan tentang investasi otak, mengelola keuangan adalah hal yang subjektif dan personal, juga asuransi. Again, dengan bahasa yang sangat mudah dipahami.
The spirit of procrastination is within all men. We desire riches; yet, how often when opportunity doth appear before us, that spirit of procrastination from within doth urge various delays in our acceptance.
Nah, kalo ini, ia mengajarkan bahwa setelah mendapatkan saran keuangan dari ahlinya, segeralah praktikan. Tidak butuh uang milyaran untuk menjadi investor. Tidak perlu penghasilan tiga digit untuk mulai mempraktikan budget plan, mulailah dari yang kecil, mulailah dari sekarang. That's the point!
Selanjutnya, dalam chapter The Five Laws of Gold, diajarkan bahwa emas telah menjadi primadona investasi atau save haven sejak zaman baheula, akan tetapi, tetap butuh ilmu, komitmen, dan disiplin agar instrumen investasi satu ini berfungsi sebagaimana mestinya.
Ill fortune pursues every man who thinks more of borrowing than of repaying.
Tokoh di buku ini juga membahas mengenai adab berutang dan bagaimana cara melunasinya agar tidak terjebak dalam lingkaran utang yang mencekik. Aplikatif sekali.
Who would believe there could be such a difference in results between following a financial plan and just drifting along.
Pada akhirnya, aku menyadari bahwa buku ini membuka pikiran dan pemahamanku bahwa personal finance bukan barang baru. Itu sudah ada jauh sejak zaman dahulu kala. Perbedaannya adalah, kini ada banyaaaaaaak....sekali instrumen keuangan yang dapat dipilih untuk mempermudah kita mencapai tujuan keuangan kita.
Gimana guys. Sudah mau masuk paruh kedua 2020. Financial goals tahun ini sudah sejauh mana?
Book details:
Author: George S. Clason
Year: 2018
Publisher: General Press
