Chapter and verse at heart for Dubai media relations executive

Ani Bazdekian admits the temptation to spend in Dubai outweighs her desire to save.

Ani Bazdekian believes that money is a necessity, but not necessarily evil. Pawan Singh / The National

Ani Bazdekian, is a senior media relations executive at at Trans-Arabian Creative Communications. The 25-year-old Armenian was born and raised in the UAE and is pursuing a master’s degree in media and technology

Describe your financial journey so far.

My financial journey has been exciting but not unusual. When I was doing my BA I used to freelance in market research companies. My parents encouraged that because they said it instils the sense of responsibility in me. After I graduated I started at a junior level and gradually I got promoted. I look forward to enhancing my knowledge of the industry and growing not only for the sake of the company I work for, but for my own sake. I truly believe that we all have to start small and work very hard and be extremely dedicated to climb up the career ladder.

Are you a spender or saver?

Definitely a spender. It’s very hard to save money in Dubai, there are a billion ways to spend money. The more I have, the more I spend. The bare necessities include house rent, car instalments, Salik, parking fees and fuel which alone is enough to leave a dent in a person’s pocket. Then comes the weekend, movies, dinner, a friend’s birthday and by the end of the month I wonder where all the money went.

What is your philosophy towards money?

I’m not going to use my own words to answer this but Ayn Rand’s words because she says it better than anyone else. “So you think that money is the root of all evil? Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?” In brief, money is a necessity, we need it to survive but it’s not money that is evil; greed is evil and destructive.

Have you made any financial mistakes along the way?

I don’t think I have made any financial mistakes and I owe this to my parents who have always taught me to spend according to my earnings; and always be responsible with money because it sure does not come easy. However, I know a lot of people who have been in financial trouble, and looking at them has taught me to always be careful and save for emergencies. You never know what life throws your way!

If you won Dh1 million, what would you do with it?

First thing I would do is finish off my master's. I would take a month off to travel around the world; live the local life though, I wouldn't want to stay in five-star hotels. I would definitely want to invest as well, so maybe open a cafe that serves home-made desserts (I love baking). It would really be a library/cafe. Do you plan for the future?

My plans are not set in stone. If an opportunity comes my way and that means I need to diverge from my plans then so be it. I have a goal I want to reach before I'm 50 but I'm in no rush. What do you enjoy spending money on?

I love spending money on books. Take me to Kinokuniya and watch me max out my credit card limit. I have every book that Ayn Rand has written and I’ve read them at least twice.

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