Learn To Earn

Recently, I have been studying. A lot!

Aside from the lesson on the importance of a contingency plan that the pandemic has brought for us to learn, my father went in and out of the hospital before the community quarantine happened. And the hospital bills were quite high. Thankful for the HMO company benefits that my sister got. I just had to pay the remainder of the amount after exhausting the resource. Then came July, when my mother became a victim of CoViD19, bills shoot up quickly in just a few days. God has provided in the form of our government health fund and covered all of the expenses during her discharge. I have only shelled out for the ambulance and the deposit when she was sent to the hospital. Last year alone was a threat to my own funds. 2020 was one of my worst years, financially.

Bad Money Habits

I grew up, not getting most of my wants and even lacked some of my needs. So, when I started earning my own money, I became a spender of everything that I wanted and needed. Saving was not on my mind, my income was overflowing when I was younger anyway. I had sideline businesses that did very well as well. I made good money and I thought those days would never come to an end.

Unfortunately, during the 2009 recession I’ve lost the job that I loved. I was paid a good sum of separation money then, but I got so depressed. And my life went downward spiral from there. My friends had no idea about how I really felt, because I was always the happy-go-lucky one. I went about my life, having no clear direction. This was the start of me jumping from one job to another, endlessly over the years. Looking for the same love, commitment, and passion for a job that I once had. The job market is huge. I got to be in different types of industries but always in the sales department. I was able to hone my Business Development skills, nonetheless.

YOLO but YAGO

I am an epitome of You Only Live Once. My life was all fun after work. Like the saying, “Work hard, party harder“. And no, I do not regret a single one of those days. They were my happiest, and I’ve made the most out of my young life. However, I was not fully prepared for You Also Grow Old. I have always been young at heart. All I ever wanted was to go for everything that made me happy. Not realizing that responsibilities will soon catch up, even if I have remained single all my life.

Adult-ing is no fun. For those who are still younger than me, jumping from one job to another will shake your financial stability. Most especially if you are not a saver and not a wise investor. Don’t get me wrong, after the 2009 recession, I may still be a spender but I was also an investor. It’s just that, all of the businesses that I went for became bad investments. And so, yes, my only regret is that I have neglected to make a solid savings plan to save my life. You better think about compartmentalizing your funds now. Savings + Investments – Spending – Loans = your Net Worth as a person. Well, basically it’s just assets less liabilities. Believe it or not, I have hit rock bottom three times! But I have always managed to bounce back, on my own two feet. With God’s help, of course.

Financial Management

If there is an upside for jumping from one job to another, is the increase in your basic salary in every jump. But then again, an increase in income will never be able to cover for bad money handling skills or the lack of skills for that matter. So, it is very important for a person to learn wise financial management. We are now living in a world where resources abound. All we need to do is to read and listen to the experts.

And never tell yourself that it is too late. People can change, when they want to. And every one of us deserves a second chance, most especially in our financial journey. It’s a trial and error, until you finally get it right. Some of the self-made millionaires that you will read about now, went fully bankrupt before they even started getting successful. They were relentless in their self belief and own vision. This is why we are always told to never give up on our dreams. Some circumstances may require a detour but never a change in your destination.

Key Financial Concepts

I’ve recently joined the International Marketing Group (IMG) and reading their book called “The Secret To Saving & Building Your Future“. It has instilled in me the power of Self Education. Let me share with you the Key Financial Concepts that the book will open your mind to:

You have to increase your cashflow. You can either reduce or remove unnecessary expenses from your life or, the best choice would be to, have more income streams. So that you can have more funds to place on savings plans and investment vehicles.

Secure yourself a good Healthcare Plan. In the Philippines, we have three choices for an HMO type. Short term Care is just like your employment HMO. This is pre-paid every year, whether you get to consume it or not. Senior Care is just like the short term care but is more expensive due to the frequency of illnesses that old age already brings. And the one that I have just got for myself is the Kaiser Ultimate Plan, the only Longterm Healthcare Plan in the Philippines. Unlike the first 2 HMO types that I have mentioned, your payments becomes a savings plan that accumulates over time. You place a fixed amount only for a 7-year period, and the plan matures on the 20th year.

Get a Life Insurance as an income replacement for your loved ones, should you die too soon. Kaiser Ultimate Plan already has a Life Term Insurance component and waiver of premiums in case of death (accidental will double this amount) and disability.

Learn more about Debt Management. Manage your loans wisely. Choose good debts over bad debts. And pay them up as soon as you can or at least as timely as possible to avoid more penalty fees.

Have an Emergency Fund that would equal 3 months or 6 months worth of your monthly income. This is to cover for any untoward incidents of expenses, most especially as a buffer for job loss. This is money that you and your family can still live on while you are looking for another job.

And finally, have wise Investments. Make your money grow. Make money work for you. Look for more wise Passive Income vehicles in the market. The good news is that the unused funds for the savings period of the Kaiser Ultimate Plan will earn the policy owner an 85% additional bonus and a yearly 10% bonus from an amount depending on the plan type. The whole fund starts to get invested in mutual funds on the 8th year until its maturity or until the money is partially or fully withdrawn at any time after the maturity. This is a very good retirement plan for you, too.

Kaiser Ultimate Plan is a 3-in-1 Savings Plan that can cover from St. Luke’s to St. Peter needs. Borrowed words from my Coach Aimer Jane Dy. If you wish to learn more about this plan, let me know. Let’s talk.

You can start your Wise Financial Journey today.

Talk to a Financial Mentor, read Financial Books, listen to Podcasts from Financial Experts, and watch a lot of Financial Management Videos on Youtube. Financial Knowledge resources are endless and bottomless. Quench your financial thirst today. Start building your worry-free future for your family now. Nothing is too late nor hopeless while we are still alive. Let us all strive to thrive. Learn to Earn the life that you deserve and have always dreamed of.