I completed watching My Best Friend’s Story – a popular Chinese Drama Series. It’s about the friendship of Jiang Nansun and her best friend Zhu Suosuo.
They have different families and personalities. However, they keep each other and go through various life struggles.
It’s about family values, office politics, love, friendship, and business. But more than that, it’s about how money affects all aspects of life.
You’ll realize how important it is to manage our own money well and have proper financial plans in life.
10 financial lessons from ‘My Best Friend’s Story’ Drama
1. Money is Important in Life
Jiang Nansun’s family is wealthy. She lives somewhat of a pampered and carefree life. She can continue her studies and focus on her dreams.
The family is united and financially stable. However, Zhu Suosuo is from a broken and financially disadvantaged family.
Suosuo lives with her uncle. She dropped her studies and works hard for money to afford a separate house.
When you depend on someone, you don’t have a privacy and a sense of independence.
2. Invest What You can Lose
Nansun’s father is an active stock trader. But he isn’t a rational trader. He treats trading as a mere game.
He puts all his wealth in stock and also borrows from others to put it into stock. When the market crashes, he ends up with huge debt.
He goes missing and later commits suicide. Loan sharks come after the family. So, Nansun has to manage money.
3. Money & Personal Dreams
When money is not a concern, we can pursue our dreams and passions. Nansun pursues her dream of becoming an architect.
But Suosuo can’t afford it. She dropped her studies and started working to make ends meet.
Seeking financial independence is for freedom of choice. But we should protect our wealth and not gamble it away like Nansun’s father.
4. Relationships and Money
Money isn’t the most important thing in a relationship. However, lack of it really affects many relationships.
Nansun gets to know the true nature of her first boyfriend Zhang Anren, when he refuses to help her family in financially difficult times.
When his mother is in difficult conditions, Xie Hongzu isn’t able to show his filial piety. The family becomes a victim of a rich woman.
5. Money is not Everything
Suosuo works really hard for money. However, very often she yearns for her family. She lets off all her money to keep family.
Nansun’s family is so rich. However, it doesn’t guarantee happiness. Her mother is lonely and combats it by playing mahjong.
6. Money Doesn’t Define You
How much money you have doesn’t and shouldn’t define you. This is also depicted in various plots of My Best Friend’s Story drama.
When it comes to wealth, Nansun’s family is far ahead. But she respects the love and care of her friend Suosuo.
The closest friend of Xie Hongzu is from the family of a funeral business. When people avoid him, Xie befriends him until the end.
To his friend’s greatest surprise, Xie also names him as the godfather of his daughter.
7. Clear Your Debts on Time
Debts should be avoided. However, in some critical situations, if it’s being incurred, we must clear it as fast as possible.
Nansun’s father keeps on borrowing more money. When he realizes, the family home is at stake.
He doesn’t have to hide from debt collectors and commit suicide leaving behind his wife, daughter and mother.
8. Gambling is Always Risky
Gambling is always risky. It’s more risky when your wealth is at stake. In this drama, Nansun’s father treats stock trading as a game.
When one is in stock trading, it’s important to have proper risk mitigation strategies.
But Jiang just puts all his money and also debts in one stock. He doesn’t seem to have any risk mitigation strategy. Hope doesn’t help.
9. Good Health is a Wealth
Good health is the most important wealth. When health isn’t good, one’s earning capacity will be low and living expense will be high.
There is no substitute for good health. But there are life insurance plans to reduce the risk of health failures.
In My Best Friend’s Story, Nansun’s family considers having all members in good health as the most important wealth.
When Xie’s mother falls ill, there is so much problem in the company. The company is almost bankrupt if Ye doesn’t save it.
10. Plan Your Finances Well
In a conversation between Suosuo and Ye’s driver, the latter says when a person has enough money there is freedom of time.
This is the ultimate goal of pursuing financial independence. Looking at the lives of Ye, Daisy, and Nansun, we know why it is very important to manage our finances well.
Did you watch any movie or drama which gives money lessons? Please share in the comment.
