As a child, we (my sister Karen and I) were taught by our granny (who we dearly call mamang because she was the one who raised us) how to wisely save money. She introduced to us early in life how banks operate, and how a time deposit (way back then) could help us grow our initial fund without having to do anything. Even as a child, I was already taught how to make passive income.On top of that, I can consider mamang to be the epitome of being "Chinese kuripot". Iba ang pagka-kuripot ng Pinoy, eh. Iba ang ka-kuriputan ng lola ko. She thinks many times before she spends. More often than not, she decides not to. And when she does, she haggles like an expert.
But, well, my financial temperament may have come from my dad. He spent his money thoughtlessly (if I may say so). When he entered politics, people came to our house EIGHT DAYS A WEEK asking for financial assistance like crazy: may it be for funeral, for tuition, for hospitalization, for their basketball league expenses, for employment, or for whatever reason people have invented. A vice mayor's salary is only so much, and was nothing compared to the amount he was shelling out.
To cut the epic story short, his expenses were multiple times greater than what he was earning. And I was like that a year ago until I decided I did not want to be like that. I love my dad dearly, and he was undeniably a generous person. The problem was precisely that, he was TOO generous and too gullible.
So, what's my point here? According to Vic and Avelynn Garcia, people can generally be categorized into 4: the survivor, the pretender, the seeker, and the unleasher. Let's take a look where everyone in the narrative falls under.
A. Survivor. This person truly lives within his means. It is because his income is exactly equal to his expense level. Laging "I will Survive" ang drama niya dahil wala siyang naitatabi. Sapat lang ang kita niya sa araw araw para sa gastusin niya para mabuhay.Survivor ako dati noong nagtuturo pa ako ng ESL sa Mapua habang nag-aaral ako ng MA sa UST. Kung anong sweldo, 'yun mismo ang pinagkakasyang pangkain, pamasahe, pang-gimik at pang check-in. Hahaha! Joke lang. Kung nagkataon nagkasakit ako noon, kailangan pang lunukin ang pride para magpatulong sa magulang para sa pang-ospital. At kung nagkataon pang wala kaming bahay sa QC, sa sweldo pa dapat huhugutin ang pangrenta.
B. Pretender. This person likes to believe that she deserves the finest things in life. So, kahit call center agent lang naman si ate sa Libis, lagi siyang sa Starbucks nakatambay, lagi mo siyang makikitang papasok ng sine sa Gateway o Glorietta, at lagi mong makikita sa FB niya na pa-travel travel lang siya sa Boracay, sa Hong Kong o sa Thailand, ganun. Malaki-laki rin naman ang kinikita ni agent lalo na kapag lumalagari siya sa commissions, pero ang lifestyle talaga ni Pretender ay masyadong magarbo beyond her means. Pero lagi naman siyang may "friends" na nanlilibre sa kanya, at magsasakay sa kanya sa car, kaya "GOW!" sabi ni Ruffa Gutierrez.Napansin ko ring ayaw na ayaw mag-selfie (ng ibang pretenders) sa bahay nila dahil baka plywood ang makita mong background. Naku, masasaktan ang ego niya kapag nalaman mo ito. This lifestyle is ridiculous. But what's more ridiculous is the fact that I know a lot of people who are in this category-- mga taong nabubuhay sa credit card.
C. Seeker. This person has excess money but does not know how to manage his personal finances.Many yuppies who live with their parents and have little to no financial responsibility at home. Ang salary nila, na pinapasok ng employer sa kanilang ATM ay doon lang naka-park hanggang di na nila namamalayang malaki na pala. Sayang ang potential ng pera nila, kulang sila ng kaalaman tungkol sa investment tools na nasa merkado ngayon.
My dad can be considered a seeker before he entered politics. He was able to provide well; we were educated in the best universities in the nation; and our family lived comfortably from what he earned from land rentals, from the bi-annual income from his hectares of farmlands, and from the estate his parents left him. He was a seeker, but too bad he found politics to spend his money on. Ayan, nawala na lahat, he spent everything "for humanitarian causes". Bye, bye cash.
D. At ang panghuli, the Unleasher. This is the person who knows how to unleash the highest potential of his money because he knows all the available options out there.
And this, guys, is what I want us all to become.
By the way, my mamang is the absolute unleasher. Just right after the sudden decline of time deposit rates in banks, she ventured into buying properties. Just right after the earthquake that hit Northern Luzon in the early 1990s, she was sold a prime lot in Baguio at an insanely low price! And now, it is where our 6-storey dormitory stands.
While I work full time in the university, I set aside fixed amount which I invest; I set aside money for my expenses (my needs and sometimes, my wants); and I set aside an emergency fund which I give to mamang for safekeeping.
Since I learned how to become an Unleasher, I have changed my attitude towards money. I learned how to make my money work for me, and not me working for money. But of course, it takes a lot of time and discipline before one becomes a true unleasher. Pero kung nasanay at na-train ka na, it's very rewarding because you can sleep soundly at night without having to worry about tomorrow. Whatever happens.
This also entails having to consider not only the potential yield of one's investment, but also his level of protection not only for himself but also for his family if ever the great uncertainty knocks (in case of illness, accident or whatever else).
I will talk about the investment tools next time, and this is the more exciting part of it.
Keep tuned in. :)
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