If you had an unlimited budget for 24 hours, what would you do?
The text explores the concept of an “unlimited budget” for a brief period, highlighting its absurdity and the unrealistic nature of such dreams, particularly for those in need. Through a fable of a rooster who prioritises sustenance over a beautiful, but useless gem, it emphasises that real needs often overshadow superficial desires. Additionally, it discusses how daydreams of sudden wealth can lead to disappointment and inertia, suggesting that hard work is essential for genuine success. It warns against the allure of “free” offers and the false promises of easy money, advocating instead for honesty, diligence, and the value of practical effort in life.
The utopia
It is silly to imagine a situation where a person has an unlimited budget for a very short period of time and ask what the person would do with that. The utopia gives momentary joy of imagining unlimited money, which is unreachable for a person who has limited resources. It is absurd and must not be asked. A pauper can do nothing more than have two square meals a day. Other things come later because saving life is first and foremost, and it has an edge over other things. One fable can explain the point.
The fable
A rooster was hungry. It was desperately searching for something to eat and quench its hunger pangs. After a long and arduous effort to scratch away debris, it could not find anything to eat. The bird was becoming restless. Suddenly it saw a glittering gem in the debris, it was searching. The gem was very beautiful; numerous colourful lights were emitting from its cuts. The rooster became spellbound for a moment. Picking up the gem, the rooster thought, would the gem serve the purpose of quenching its hunger? No, reply came from within. Rooster felt melancholic and as if soliloquising said in a whisper, “You are beautiful and expensive too, but can serve no purpose for me. Had you been a grain, pulse or seed I would have been a happy soul”. The rooster dropped the gem because it was of no use to it.
Hunger
The short fable tells in plain words that hunger is a major problem. Even a piece of expensive jewel was unable to fill the gap. It goes on to say that it is not money, but rather the thing that is important at a given point in time, which determines its urgency.
Daydreaming money
It is like daydreaming of a timid and poor young man who starts calculating the eggs laid by an imaginary hen. In the endless dream, one goes on calculating the profit earned by selling the eggs and the hatched chickens to become a rich man in a short period of time. The young man finds himself nowhere except the worn-out place, and he starts dreaming. It gives nothing but pain. It also reminds about a short story of a poor fisherman who earned his livelihood by catching fish.
Fisherman dream about money
There lived a fisherman on the bank of a river. He used to soliloquise, dreaming himself as a king. Once the king heard his wishes, incognito. The king decided to give him the feel of palace luxury for one day. The royal employees approached the fisherman as ordinary travellers. After exchanging pleasantries, they presented a bouquet of beautiful flowers with a pleasant fragrance to the fisherman as a goodwill gesture. The fisherman became unconscious with the fragrance of the bouquet. An unconscious fisherman brought to the palace by the royal employees.
Luxurious treatment
The fisherman cleaned, bathed and draped in the finest clothes and lay on a luxurious bed in a big hall-like room. After regaining his consciousness, the fisherman found himself lying on a plush bed in the most expensive and comfortable attire, surrounded by many handmaidens, ready to obey his command. The fisherman could not believe it. He rubbed his eyes. It all appeared as a dream.
Full throttle enjoyment
The guest served with the finest royal cuisines and drinks, which he ate heartily. He enjoyed full throttle for the whole day. Later, when the sun went down on the horizon, he was once again made unconscious and shifted back to the original position. Oblivious of the happenings, the fisherman believed it was a dream.
hard work: irreplaceable
These and many more stories push the person into the ditch of inertia and dejection. There is no replacement for hard work. No one can give hefty money without a cause. Hard work earns fortune, not any other means. Easy money lures but leads to unforeseen, unpalatable and dangerous situations. Anything that triggers fake dreaming must be avoided, even if it is for amusement. It is an evil like consuming intoxicants,, which are pleasurable to experience but cost heavily on the individual. (The Socratic Method)
Money: Unfulfilled desires
There is a plethora of reading materials about such a situation and people’s reactions. The famous story of “Alibaba and the Forty Thieves” also underscores the importance of hard work, honesty and simplicity. Evidently, the suppressed desires and simmering unfulfilled wishes often surface in the form of fictional stories. People beeline for fake easy money offers, lose their hard-earned money and repent. Hoodwinkers try to trap simple people in the name of doubling their money in a short period of time, or offer handsome amounts through the lottery and playing easy games. These and other tricks are not different from letting people daydream of getting “unlimited budget” for a short period of time.
Alluring people for money
Any quiz, game or catchy sentence that attracts people with its alluring statements is like deceiving people. It is unethical, but simultaneously, people must also be aware, use prudence and logic before jumping into the cesspool. Games where people can “loot” whatever they like, within a stipulated time, create a stampede-like situation. Ironically, the allotted time is kept short, and people get almost nothing in comparison to what they thought. Participants feel deceived but pathetically can’t complain about it because of the binding clauses of the agreement they signed before entering such “Fun Games”. This type of trick to attract people and try to hold them as a regular customer is not a healthy practice and should not be followed.
Read between the lines
People must read between the lines before entering into any such proposal which offers “unlimited budget for limited hours”. Ostensibly, the offer is not cash; it is a theoretical budget. Many self-absorbed people who think highly of themselves would like to run a huge community kitchen to feed the hungry with this. This seems rosy, but practically it casts serious aspersions on its bona fide aim. The desire may get a few takers on its emotional quotient of “feeding hungry”, but it is practically not feasible for some obvious reasons. It is why many sects which offer free food have some alternate source to keep resources replenished.
Free money allures
Many sects or people organise a public “kitchen” on a special day or occasionally but they do not offer a proper meal. It is barely a morsel or two of food served as oblation. Free kitchen is good and conveys a positive message to society but in parallel, it encourages avoidable lust for free, without work. Nevertheless, in some places, people are required to offer their services like cleaning utensils, cooking food or preparing it before cooking. It is like an economic activity which offer purchase of food. The dignity of labour must be maintained and people getting “free” food must realise that what appears “free” is not free. They have to pay for it in cash or physical labour.
Free “Unlimited Budget” is a misnomer
A few would prefer to secure the future of their family members with sudden providence in the form of “Unlimited Budget”, which is a misnomer. Some may want to get a palatial house, expensive cars or a jetliner. They let themselves lose to fly high, but their scope is limited. They end up in most routine things which they could acquire as a routine through their hard work. These practices are harmful for society and individuals, for it promotes deceit, treachery and cupidity.
Honesty and contentment
A simple and high-value life is best. It is impractical to think that fortune would fall from heaven and a select few would be benefited. There is no alternative to hard and diligent work, honesty and benevolence. It is a two-way traffic, do good to get good.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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