For me, money is a tool. You use it to solve problems (like blackout-proofing your home). You also use it to make more of itself, so you can keep solving even bigger problems and enjoy more comfort. But here's where most people mess up their money psychology. While they are trying to make more, they start shifting the goalpost. E.G. You earn ₦500,000 monthly, get a promotion bumping you to ₦1,000,000, so naturally, you upgrade everything. Bigger house, nicer vehicle, fancier devices. Problem is, those upgrades quickly become financial burdens: Better phone? It will use more data (₦5,000 data bundle quickly becomes ₦30,000 monthly). Larger car? A V6 engine gulps fuel faster than your smaller V4. Bigger apartment? Higher rent expense, furnishing, etc. You end up exactly where you started financially, just with shinier stuff. My approach is different: delay the goalpost shift by one or two income jumps. E.G. When I went from earning roughly N200,000 to N500,000 monthly, I changed nothing except my savings rate. It was when I hit over N700,000 that I allowed some lifestyle upgrades, and even then, not proportional to the income increase. And the endpoint? I had extra money sitting around for things like solar systems. When you treat your resources, whether it’s money, time, or energy, as tools for long-term growth (not just instant rewards), you protect yourself from unexpected shocks and position yourself for real progress. Whether you’re building/growing a business or just trying to live more comfortably, the smartest moves are usually the ones you make before things go wrong, not after. - Oyekunle Damola