My response to the @Indiaunited Contest -

Our first earning is always a very emotional moment and a matter of pride. During school days I did receive pocket money, but it was very nominal, nothing that I could ever feel happy about. It was just enough to buy some snacks couple of times in a month and that too the cheap ones and meet the regular bus travelling expenses. So that never gave any kind of feeling. It was like getting money against the day to day needs which were unavoidable.

As I grew up, I did feel a desire to have some more money at hand to occasionally buy something that I would like. When you are going to college, you do need some money in hand. I started giving tuitions. I was good with children and I had some basic skills because my mom was also a school teacher. Under her guidance I took up a couple of tuitions for children up to 3rd grade. The first income I got was from it and I was so happy; it was a very liberating feeling. That money in my hand made me feel so powerful. It was only 300 Rs. in the year 1992, but it felt like I had 3 million. Even before I received my first earning I had a long list of what I wanted to do with the money.

Very soon in just around 2 months, from one I had 4 students and I had more income, which made me feel ecstatic. And then I also took up a part time weekend job at the Racecourse, where I had to sell tickets at the counter. There was additional money. The first 2 to 3 months I did spend some money, but gradually I started saving. My wedding was coming up soon, so I wanted to save for that, to spend on myself in those days. Even when I started earning, my dad continued giving me the pocket money he used to. So gradually even though I had urge to spend, I saved the full money that I earned and managed in the pocket money I received being very miser. My goals were getting bigger. I want to do an International holiday. Keeping the bigger picture in mind, I started saving as much as I could.

For 4 years I saved all that money. In the mean time I got married and used a little part of it that time. Then I also got a full-time job, but I continued giving tuitions for some more time and also did the weekend job. I wanted to save lot of money for the holiday and I did it in the 3 years' time. After which me and hubby we did a 2 weeks holiday to London and Switzerland and I felt every penny that I saved was all worth it.

Truly the first time I had my own earnings in my hand I felt like I conquered the world and after that it became like an addiction to earn, but all in the good and right way. Money was never free flowing in my life till then, but when I started doing all these odd jobs and earning it felt like it was not that difficult also to earn money.

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