Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “you get what you pay for”?
That statement sounds as logical as possible. When you make a purchase, you are supposed to get what you paid for.

Anyone who makes regular purchases online knows how untrue this statement is though.
Sometimes, you make a payment, and upon delivery, the purchased item is in no way similar to the advertised item.

Often, the only thing they share in common is the brand name or model number. If you look carefully at that too, don’t be surprised if they aren’t exactly the same though.
We thank God for return policies though.

Vendors, after receiving payment are reluctant to return said money. This is despite knowing that whatever they have delivered to you would take a miracle of desperation or ignorance for you to accept.
Either way, choosing to accept the goods will mean your payment stands.

They say life is a market. And just like any other market, you are supposed to get what you pay for.
The currency includes commitment, effort, talent, knowledge, loyalty, and other intangible things.

Some of these serve a second purpose of being something you aspire towards. You’d gladly pay for it if you had the option.
Everything in life demands a payment though.

The fact that you are getting a service, privilege, or position for free doesn’t mean it is free. If you are not paying for it, someone else is.
The question then arises, “is it a fair trade?”

The hours you put into reading for a thirty minutes exam in exchange for fifty marks, is it a fair trade?
Hours spent at work, effort, and intellect put in, is it a fair trade for your monthly pay?

The love and commitment you put into a relationship, in exchange for whatever you are enjoying from it, is it a fair trade?
However many minutes or hours you put in to exchange your body for whatever payment you receive, is it a fair trade?

Then we get to the place of negotiation. Wherever a trade is being made, a negotiation either happens, or a previous negotiation is being respected.
You’ll be shocked if you found out what someone else is getting paid for what you do for free, without respect or appreciation shown.

Trades and exchanges are guaranteed to never end. Karma, salvation, comeuppance, fate, consequence, eternity, everything is a result of one trade or another.
If someone else is making the payment on your behalf, be respectful and appreciative.

Value it more than if you had paid for it yourself. It cost them something. A fee you can redirect towards something else you need.
Something else just as, if not more beneficial.

There will be situations when the result you get in a trade isn’t what you expected. Things turn out worse than you imagined.
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

Despite this, the trade is made. The debt is paid. The payment is collected. The effort is exerted and cannot be returned.
Life unlike the vendor has no cashback policy. Items sold cannot be returned, irrespective of conditions on delivery.

Whatever the case may be, you may not always get what you pay for, but you definitely pay for what you get.

Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator, and Creative Writer.
Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. @IJOSWIL