"...you will squeeze the life out of that toothpaste tube now...!"

"...you will squeeze the life out of that toothpaste tube now...!" I said, grinning from ear to ear.

It was during my primary school days. With morning school routines being a universal ritual, caregivers, especially mothers, have the task of dragging kids out of bed every morning and supplying everything from a toothbrush to socks.

On this particular day, things were no different. Mom retrieved the tube of Colgate (toothpaste common in many households in the '80s and '90s, or the more budget-friendly Babool). The tube was completely bent, squeezed dry. Another squeeze might have made it shriek in protest. But the unsuspecting tube was unaware of what awaited it! Mom seized the poor tube and headed to the kitchen. Moments later, she reappeared with a Saansi (Gujarati for the tongs used in the kitchen) in one hand and the terrified toothpaste tube in the other.

Carefully, she rolled the toothpaste until it looked like a tightly curled up snake. Then, like an acupressure expert, she applied just the right amount of pressure at the right spots (mostly at the tube's neck) to extract some paste that probably never imagined seeing the light of day again. I hastily started brushing, but to my amazement, the tube was returned to the cabinet, not the dust bin. Mom saw the look on my face. Mothers often know the question you are gonna ask even before the question presents itself to you. "That will easily last 3 to 4 days more." she declared, confining the curled up tooth paste back where it belonged, for the next few days at the least.

Early life lessons:-

- It's a good habit to get the most out of resources, but not at the expense of something else, especially someone's physical or mental health. Sometimes, all it takes is a mindset focused on saving and optimizing, along with some creative thinking.

- We often don't realize when we're wasting something. That unused paste would have been useless if thrown away. By using it, we not only saved a bit of money but also prevented it from going to waste.

The attached image is of a ketchup bottle at my home yesterday. While its successor has arrived, this one has been relegated to a Sirsasana (headstand) position for the last two days, serving for a couple of samosas. There's still a squeeze or two left in it.

At home, sometimes, we still handle toothpaste tubes and packs of milk, oil, and ghee similarly. However, my 76-year-old mother's mastery in extracting every last drop far surpasses my skills!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! May you continue accumulating savings and building wealth by making the most of what (not who) can be squeezed in 2024.

"...sir woh kya hai na aaj mera pehla din hai"

"...sir woh kya hai na aaj mera pehla din hai" 

said the guy in a light blue uniform, accompanied by a smart cap. ["sir, you see, today happens to be my first day"]

It was a Friday morning, and I found myself rushing to the office for a meeting. Just minutes before the meeting was due to start, I barely managed to arrive. The next challenge was finding a parking space. To my dismay, I could not spot any vacant slot on the ground level, so I drove down to the basement level, crossing my fingers on both hands. But only if crossing fingers worked on Friday mornings! There was no vacant slot in sight, even in the basement. "Why cant people chill a bit on a Friday and come a little late! Especially the ones who come in cars" I wondered.

Right across our designated parking I saw a wide open space. About 30 empty rectangular white spots looking at my plight with pity. "One. Just one of those beautiful rectangular spaces is all I need!" I thought. I looked to my left & right. Then, like a child rushing to steal chocolates from the fridge (when no one's looking at home), I swiftly parked in one of those spots. Exiting the car, I suddenly spotted a uniformed figure materialize out of thin air. Traffic cops & security guards just apparate like wizards, prakat ho jaate hai.

"Sir, which company?" he inquired, noting the absence of the required sticker on my windshield. "Yaar I couldn't find an empty spot there, so I parked here," I explained. He politely clarified that I couldn't park there. I insisted, but he persisted, mentioning it was his first day and he wished to avoid any issues. Pulling out a business card from my wallet, I urged him to call if there was any trouble. After some pleas, he gave in.

Around 12:30 pm, my phone rang. "Sir, are you in the office?" he asked. "Yes, should I come down now?" I responded, ready to leave my seat. "No Sir. Only a few spaces are left. If they fill up, I'll call you. Just making sure you're nearby in case," he explained before hanging up.

In the evening, I went back to the parking lot. The moment I reached the car, he apparated. "Thank you, dost" I expressed my gratitude. I pulled out my wallet and offered a twenty. He showed me his hand, gesturing that it was not needed. I insisted. This time he did not persist, moving the palm of his right hand towards his face to signal his gratitude. I got in the car, still smiling. Smiling in the same spot I was all but smiling that morning.

As I drove out of the basement, it hit me that, in an attempt to get out of a sticky situation, I had ended up transferring my worries to him. The least I could have done was to come down after a few hours to see if the car could be moved, freeing that noble man's soul.

At times, we encounter kind individuals who go out of their way to assist us. It's important to acknowledge our responsibility for our actions and how they might affect those offering help. In our haste to solve our problems, we might unintentionally burden them.