Are you sabotaging your wealth without even knowing it?
I get it. People love a good hook up. The free .99 deal. The “I’m going to find a way not pay deal.”
But by saving a dime, could you be blocking your dollars?
Most people know what a hook up is, but for the few that don’t, I will save you the drama of asking.
A hookup is when someone offers you something for free or a very discounted price because they have access to it, but they don’t own it and they are not supposed to share it.
I’m not referring to employee benefits that are allowed to be shared or gifts that people paid for and they want to bless you with it at no cost.
No, I’m referring to the “I’m going to give you this without the rights to transfer it”. Some people have lost their jobs over hookups or trying to shortcut the system, but yet people still do it because of the short-term gain or the naivety that they will not get caught.
The Intent
Outside of the short-term profit that the person may realize or just the willingness to help someone else, I don’t believe it is coming from a negative place intentionally. It is coming from a place of gifting and sharing. The problem is, it is not yours to give away or receive.
A prime example is a fictional character, Robin Hood. Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor. He was clearly ‘the plug’ for the underserved. We all understand why he did it; he wanted to help those that needed the help the most. We even cheered him on, but was it right?
Is it right to take from others and give it away?
No, it’s not and I’ll explain why.
My Personal Experience
I first learned this lesson as a teenager after going back to my old job at McDonald’s. While I didn’t stay there long, I made some connections. One day I went back to the restaurant with my Dad to find my old co-worker working the register. After I paid for my order, I saw that he ‘hooked me’ up with an extra order of fries.
“Sweet!” is what I thought. As we were walking out of the store, I told my Dad that I got the extra fries and the look on his face immediately showed me that he wasn’t as excited as I was about the ‘blessing.’ His next words confirmed his facial expressions.
He said, “That man is running a business and do you think he knows someone is giving away his stuff? Take it back.”
Shocked that he was acting this way over some fries, some $2 fries. Instantly I was embarrassed because I had to go back to the store, take the fries out my bag and give them back. Begrudgingly, I complied because I didn’t want any problems.
Overall, I understood the lesson of not taking from another, but my Dad didn’t explain how this behavior could impact me. But I found out.
How Does This Impact You
That example of returning the fries may seem frivolous like it didn’t matter that much, but it all matters.
The reason is Karma.
You might have heard of Karma as “What goes around comes around” or “What you put out is what you get back.” Both statements get to the essence of what it is. It’s essentially the effect of a previous action. Some people choose to ignore it. Others may not be aware of it. Regardless it is still working. It doesn’t discriminate on what you do or do not know. The good news is that karma is not just for negative behavior, but positive behavior as well; meaning when you do good, you receive good in return.
We all have heard of the Golden Rule – Treat others as you want to be treated. This is a classic example of the way karma works. The message is that when you treat others well they treat you well also.
How Does This Apply to Your Money?
Great question. Because karma is always at work when you receive a hookup or receive something that is not yours. You are sending out energy that you will receive back. The short-term gain may feel like a come up instantly, but pay attention to what happens next.
For example, have you ever got a hookup, trying to save a dollar, only to have something else go wrong that cost the same of what you were saving?
Or you receive that good cable hook-up only to realize that the electric bill is higher than normal so you still don’t get ahead. You might think that that’s just life, but I say it’s karma.
Or when you borrow money and don’t pay it back. Yes, you receive a temporary gain but you end up losing it or more.
You can think you are getting over, but in the long-run you are not. There are so many examples, but overall when you cheat the system somewhere down the line the score will be settled.
Could it be that finding a way to cut corners is costing you more?
Conclusion
I can’t tie a one to one example for every situation, but just take a moment to think about it. Trust me, I’m sure most of us can think of at least one example. Just consider how this may be showing up in your life. If you are still skeptical, try to look at the situation from a different point of view.
Just to clarify again, gifts are fine, but seeking shortcuts could leave your pockets empty in the long run.
Remember how the golden rule works and note that it is the same for money. Treat other people’s money like your own.
Pay what you owe and pay it back on time.
Be a giver as others will give to you.
Don’t unintentionally block your blessings.
That’s getting your Finances On Point.