Zen or being conscious of what we are doing is a very nice thing to know. So whether you are eating, doing exercise, or even watching television, give it your 100%. Like Swami Vivekananda says ‘Concentration’ is the greatest strength of a student.

And we are students for a life time, right?

What happens when we spend money? Should we be conscious about what we are doing? Does that make sense? Is it possible?

I think the answer is yes. Be in what ever you are doing. So apply your mind to that expense. Why are you spending that money? to eat food? to buy shelter or is it to show off to your friends, relatives, etc.

Some people call it sensible spending or Conscious spending…well this is not a new concept, but a new way of looking at things.

See how we spend money – normally it is on a reflex. Like ordering tea in a hotel – it is assumed all the people will have it. Tea may be a small example, but there are just too many things that we spend on reflex. Buying clothes for Diwali, joining the gym, buying a cable net connection, a still camera or a video camera….etc. etc.

Recently a friend gave up watching television. The TV went out, the cable connection went out, …well the time got saved. However most of us pay for things like a reflex…what ever it is.

Corporate India called it zero based budgeting – which means you had to think why an expense was being incurred before you made the decision to spend.

Simple. Think before you spend.

If you are not reading a magazine, stop  the subscription.

If you are not watching tv stop paying for cable, if you are not serious about the gym stop renewing it. If you have 300 shirts n pants stop buying new ones. If you have a cd writer which you used 4 times, a dvd writer which you never used, a home pc, a laptop, an ipad, a GPS reader,…..OMG think again b4 you buy kindle. Apart from your paperback library, the kindle too will collect dust.

I am convinced ebay makes money because wives are busy selling all the nonsensical gadgets their husbands are accumulating without using. Women empowerment!!