“It is February, and we are all set to get into a long summer.”, Khushi said, with a sign, as she rolled out a mat for her and Joy to sit on, in a nearby park. “The thought of a long summer day itself, puts me off. We will not be able to play in the park as much as we can now..” she further said. Joy, as usual as his positive self, said “Lets also look at the positives. What comes to your mind immediately when you think of summer? Isn’t there something that excites you?” “Mangoes!”, said Khushi, without a second thought. “I can’t wait to taste the most delicious and sweet mangoes! Why don’t they come round the year like so many other fruits? It would be great if they would!” Mango? Mangone! This is when Joy remembered a few facts that his granny had told him a few years ago about mangoes and how she related them to saving money. He shared these facts with Khushi. “The Mango is the king of fruits and more fresh mangoes are eaten around the world every day than any other fruit. Nearly half of the world’s mangoes are produced in India, but the country accounts for less than one percent of the international mango trade, due to the fact that India consumes most of its own production.” he said. Everyday is MANGOnifiscent! “But do you remember the disappointment when your mom cuts open a mango and you see that its still not ripe and you eat it with disappointment?Its not as sweet and tasty as your expectation, right?”, he continued. The ripening of a mango, is like understanding when your savings bear the best fruits. When we save money, its equally important to understand that when do our investments bear good returns – they need time to grow and give us best results. For example, said Joy, “When my granny got married, my great grandfather gifted her a piece of land, and she ensured that she did not sell it at an early stage in her life. She held on to it for 25 years and sold it when my mother was getting married to my father, for quite a fortune. The money that was realized on selling the land at that time was more than enough to pay for the wedding expenses and leave my grandmother with enough of money to lead a comfortable life during her retirement.” “She had received many offers during these 25 years to sell the land, and it was very difficult for her to curb her temptation, as she would definitely gain money by selling it.” “Why didn’t she sell it, then? She could get a lot of money, and use it to travel to various places and change her lifestyle.” asked Khushi. “Though the amount was a lot, it wasn’t enough, my granny thought. She knew that if she’d wait for longer, she would get a much better value than what was offered at that time. Moreover, she did not require the money. She was content with what she had at that time, therefore she waited.” answered Joy. “If that’s so, then why did she sell it after 25 years? She could have kept it for longer and got an even better amount.”, asked Khushi. “Yes, she could have done that. But she knew that what was right for her. If she would hold on to that land for longer, it would become difficult for her to provide for my mother’s wedding expenses and she would not be able to retire, as she would need money to live. If she chose not to sell that land, she would have to continue to work in her old age, in-spite of having the resources.”, said Joy. “Now, compare the land to the mangoes. It is important to know when a mango is ripe, so that you get the best taste. Similarly, it is important to know the time that is right, to sell your land or any other investment, for that matter. If you eat the mango too early, It won’t taste good. Similarly, if you redeem your investment too early, you will not reap enough benefits. If you wait for too long, even after a mango is ripe, it will eventually rot, and become inedible. Similarly, if you hold on to an investment for too long, you may not be able to reap the benefits. You will go on struggling even though you have it and someone else will reap the benefits later, or, you’ll get nothing out of it.”, said Joy. So, lets be patient and eat the mangoes when they are ripe 😉 Author: Mr. Nirmal M Jain | Mr. Nirmal M Jain is a Co-Founder at HappyWise Financial Services. He has helped over 100 Families over the last 15 years of his services in the Financial Planning Sector. He has been a mentor to several people to help them better understand investments, stocks, mutual funds, financial planning, personal finance and above all his favorite term “The Power Of Compounding!”. Post navigation Khushi and Joy, Episode 6: “Is she a Money making machine?” Khushi and Joy, Episode 8: “Let’s Celebrate Our Exams”
