![]() ![]() The good news is we, as NRIs, can invest in NPS (National Pension Scheme) for our retirement benefits. We must consider our retirement because, as officers, we are not entitled to a provident fund scheme and many other benefits, unlike non-marine professionals. We, as seafarers, ought to plan our finances and periodically review them. However, over the last few years, financial awareness is increasing among the mariners, who have become sound and adept in economics and finance. The primary cause is a lack of awareness about financial planning among seafarers and our Indian culture. Even at home, we are not using them daily, courtesy of the various maritime and company courses we have to do, mainly in metropolitan cities. We often buy expensive automobiles, such as Ducati, BMW, Mercedes, etc., only to keep them in the garage for extended months while we are sailing. The maximum output they require is watching media or filling an Excel sheet. High-end laptops, intended for the heavy usage of designing and animation, are bought by mariners. We tend to get trapped in the social stigma of flaunting wealth and getting the validation of the WEALTHY status from others.Įven though it is a personal choice, the talk here is about the value and ROI. Indeed, we start earning well initially compared to our non-mariner peers, and that earning only increases with time.īut we spend a large chunk of it on things we hardly use or barely require, rather than wisely spending on necessities and saving and investing the requisite amount of our earnings. After years of experience at sea and a lot of unnecessary spending, I’ve realised that we, as seafarers, don’t value money as much as we should. Our education system is theory-heavy (Both maritime and non-maritime), and there’s relatively lesser scope for creativity. We are TRAINED (rather than groomed) all our lives to secure the topmost position in our schools and colleges and gain validation from a society that we are exceptional among the masses. Over the years, I have realised that the root cause for this is our education system and the social structure. Kindly help me make it better and more valuable. I am sure we will share something as I’m also bred at sea like you are.ĭisclaimer: The below-mentioned views are mine and mine alone and can differ from others’ points of view. I hope it assists in some or the other way the young mariners and the old, and the experienced and the naïve, and without any offence to any person or profession, brings some insight about my brothers and sisters at sea. However, the point of this post is to throw some light on the negatives, as it is less talked about. There are more positives than negatives, without a doubt. ![]() I have had my share of ups and downs, which has taught me much about life and the sea. I can proudly say that the sea has given me more than I could have imagined, and I am thankful to God, my parents, my employer and my colleagues. Having spent more than a decade at sea, I have seen and analysed how different the traits of a mariner are from a fellow landlubber. We, as seafarers, are aware of the hardships we go through and the sacrifices we and our family members make to care for our loved ones. No two days are the same, and there are a lot of variables playing around. ![]()
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