Rich lessons from Crazy Rich Asians


Over the weekend, I did a movie marathon watching ‘The Equalizer 2’ and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. We’ll talk more on the lessons that can be learned from watching Crazy Rich Asians. While the film is more about social status and class than wealth, there are a handful of money lessons as well.

A ‘little’ spoilers ahead.

Money can’t buy you class.

All the money in the world can’t make you happy or a nicer person. There are scenes dedicated to comparing and measuring one’s wealth against other people but they all seem shallow and miserable.  So, the lesson here is be thankful you are not obscenely wealthy. Be kind.

Money Can Complicate Things.

Let’s not forget that mo’ money does equate to mo’ problems. Having more money means you’ll need to spend more time making decisions about your money. It’s going to require you more time and mental energy to allocate your resources accordingly.

If you spend more than you earn, problem. If you borrowed money to spend more than what you have, you’ll be in debt. And even if you managed to make a million, it’s another story to keep it.

The unconscious greed of people or the perception of it can really be scary at times. In the film, there are many ways money complicates the relationship between Rachel, Nick and their respective families. For starters, Nick’s mom disapproves of Rachel, primarily because she doesn’t come from money. Rachel also finds herself being accused as a gold digger by socialites who would love to marry Nick.

It Helps to Be Honest with Your Money Situation.

While Nick remained humble and did a great job not flaunting his wealth, but when Rachel found out that he was ultra-wealthy, it complicated things which could have been avoided. This is a form of ‘Financial infidelity’, where hiding this secret is a form of betrayal (debt, an expensive purchase, so on).

The difficulty and drama of marrying into a family not belonging to your social class is inevitable. It’s important to be honest with your significant other about your money matters. All the more with your family (There’s a certain part of Filipino culture that rejects kids from being involved with the Family’s finances). How much debt do you have? What are your spending patterns or vices? Do you have protection? Investments? What would you like your future to look like, and how will you get there?

These are hard questions but will make your ambitions, goals and dreams, closer to reality.

What does True Wealth mean?

Money is a social construct and the same is true for wealth. You can decide what it is. So, while there are those who live a seemingly “wealthy lifestyle,” others may be dirt poor or have a negative bank balance because they spent all their money trying to look rich or wealthy.

The same is true for the word ‘Financial Freedom’. Many people say it but what the hell does that actually mean right? If you want to be rich, or a millionaire, then it means you want to buy something. Buy that house, car, freedom, or whatever. Decide what that is and you will be on your way towards achieving that financial goal.

The reality is that money is such an emotionally charged aspect of life. But it is a reality we must all face. There’s no one straight path towards wealth, so get out there and carve your own path.

Rich lessons from Crazy Rich Asians Rich lessons from Crazy Rich Asians Reviewed by Vernon Joseph Go on Thursday, September 06, 2018 Rating: 5

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