Right after graduation, I decided to find employment the soonest I can. Why? First, I want to earn my own money so I can buy things whenever I want to. And second, I want to be rich.
Growing up in a family who lives an average life allowed me to finish my entire scholastic years in private schools which I am thankful because, while I’m in the midst of my job-hunting period, companies would first rely on which University or Colleges you finished a degree.
Ten years ago and up to now, Call Centers or BPO companies have been the greatest job-opportunity hub for fresh graduates (back then) like me would find.
And so I was blessed to be shortlisted and soon offered me an employment.
On my first job my take home package was already Php12000, back then, it was pretty high for fresh grad like me. But I wasn’t satisfied. When an officemate told me about this new company that offers Php5000 higher compensation, I immediately resigned and applied to this second company of mine.
Yes, at the age of 20, I am already earning Php17000 a month for myself.
My lifestyle started to change as the days went by.
Every payday, I would find myself buying unnecessary items just for the sake of “buying”. I won’t eat at home rather will ask my mom to dine with me outside instead.
I am not a gadget type of a person, but because I know I have a lot to spend, I got myself the latest colored-polyphonic phone, had my braces and surprised my sister with a brand new cellular phone. I really didn’t care about the future. I literally didn’t save up.
But we all know that CHANGE is the only permanent thing in life. Like in any other companies, nobody can predict what the future holds. In short, the company terminated the account I’m part and become unemployed.
At first, I really didn’t feel the burden of not having a job, maybe because of my take-home separation pay. I can still live the luxury of it. Not until I became ill. Due to irregularities of my shifting schedule, my immune systems become weak. I don’t have enough money to support my medication and have to ask my parents to shoulder it.
It’s frustrating! Then I realized, if only I have saved up for the future, it wouldn’t really be a problem.
After my month-long bed rest, I decided to find myself a new job.
Then I was able to find a new one. Although it offers almost 50% lower than my previous, I have no choice, so I accepted it.
I could not imagine that I survived. That’s when I realized that there was a big difference between loving the job because you enjoy coming to work from loving the job because it offers satisfactory compensation but you are not happy with what you’re doing.
Would you imagine, with that amount, I could still buy things that I want, how? I learned how to budget my money. I also became a wise consumer, wherein I got to pick the product with quality on a cheaper price. So that I can still eat to fancy restaurants whenever, wherever.
All this time, I thought, that if a have a lot of money, I will be happy but I am not.
Now that I am already in my 30’s, I am doing freelance job but I am happy. I get to spend my money on products and services that my allotted budget can only cover. I travel but I make sure that the money I will spend was fairly earned.
I may not be wealthy in terms of numbers, but I am wealthy of the memories that money can’t buy.
From my “piso-piso” savings, I know in the future it will become millions.
“Always save up for the rainy season”.
