I used to hate it when, after receiving a windfall, a big and necessary expense would suddenly come up. It’s like fate is testing my drive to save money. You know, instead of keeping the cash for a brighter future, I get to spend it. But lately, I have realized that God really never fails to provide for my needs. Things could have been bad. What if I didn’t have any moolah and a big and necessary expense has suddenly come up? I should have been grateful instead of whiny.
Image Source: http://breakingmuscle.com/mind-body/finding-balance-in-our-physical-personal-and-professional-lives
When dealing with money, and specifically budgeting, I try to balance things by allotting a budget for almost every imaginable expense. I try not to deprive myself of little luxuries in life. I try to reward myself every now and then. The operative word here is “try.” I try, because there are still occasions when I become too obsessed with savings. Like when I find it hard to let a peso go out of my wallet. Like when I can’t spend this spare money because deep inside, I feel it’s better off going to my retirement fund. This mindset can be attributed to my former role as the breadwinner in a family of six. I knew very well how hard it was to budget my meager income then so now that I’m earning a decent salary, I have intentionally made it difficult for myself to part with money as a precautionary/safety measure and at one point, for my peace of mind.
But I know better now.
Gradually, I’m learning to be not so hard on myself. I’m glad the hubby is there to remind me to enjoy life more, to enjoy my money more. Not in the unforeseen future, but now. And it’s a good thing that there’s also a voice inside me that serves as my “financial conscience” (if there is even such a term). It tells me when I’m about to overspend and warns me about what could be an impulsive purchase that would endanger my finances. Siyempre paminsan-minsan, inactive yang voice na yan, kaya napapagastos pa rin ng bongga. Lalo na pag may sulsol si hubby na ganito, “bilhin mo na yan, gusto mo hati pa tayo sa bayad…sige na!” The man knows me too well! Hahaha.
Finding a financial balance differs from people to people. Because we have different priorities and backgrounds, what may be a balanced use of money for me may not be balanced enough for you or for others. It’s really a personal choice. Gauge your finances and determine the balance that suits you best. To get this task done more effectively, perhaps, we should first acknowledge the fact that money is not everything. It’s just a tool to buy our basic needs, fulfill our wants, take us to places, and bring us closer to our dreams and aspirations in life. It does not buy good health (it can’t make us disease-proof either!), strong and solid relationships, inner happiness, and acceptance and true love from the people who matter to us. We also have absolute control over money so let’s use it wisely.
By keeping a financial balance, we get to appreciate the importance of money and find out the things that are far more important than it in this world. Most of us work hard for money, but let us also enjoy our money today, tomorrow, and of course, in our retirement years when we most need it. This is not to say we should stop paying our debts. Neither does it mean we should discontinue working towards achieving our financial goals. This is to balance our focus, discipline, motives, and expectations on money so we don’t abuse or punish ourselves unconsciously by limiting what we can do or accomplish with the money we have.
And that bigger than all the money-related worries in this world combined is a generous God who knows when we need money, and how much, at any given point in our life. He may not give it to us all the time at the exact amount and moment we want it, but He surely knows the perfect medium (e.g. income-generating opportunities, unexpected inheritance, financial rewards from out of nowhere, etc.) to give us.
Do you feel you have already found financial balance at this point in your life? What are your thoughts on the matter? 🙂
May you choose happiness always,
This is a very enlightening post 🙂 It also took me awhile to find financial balance. I learned the value of delayed gratification, saving for myself and my needs first, then my wants. Masarap yung feeling na nagagawa natin ang mga bagay bagay, or nabibili natin yung gusto natin when we save up for it, and most specially if we share this blessing to our loved ones din 🙂
Good for you, Jackie! In my case, it’s still a work in progress. True, it’s a great feeling to share our blessings with our loved ones and other people also. 🙂
Hirap din minsan ma attain ang financial balance lalo kung may mga unexpected expenses.
Pero truth be told, may mga investments na sa una eh gastos lang pero you will get the benefit in the long run. The hubby would say na we have to weigh things dahil sa panahon ngayon ang hirap magkasakit.
Nice post Edel 🙂 (as always)
Totoo, panira ang mga unexpected expenses kaya dapat talaga sila paghandaan as much as possible. Salamat sa suporta, Rachiel! 🙂
My financial balance is not depriving myself even if I am saving. A cupcake per payday is usually my prize or something that I would like to eat basta hindi mag eexceed ng budget. I still have a long way to go in terms of saving but I was glad na hindi naman pala mahirap. Kelangan mu lang talaga ng goals at disiplina.
Gusto ko yang may prize na binibigay sa sarili once in a while! It’s our money and so we have the right to enjoy/indulge on something using it. Yes, need ng goals at maraming-maraming disiplina. 🙂
I think we haven’t found our financial balance yet. My husband and I tend to live in the future. Most of our financial decisions are for the future. Minsan iniisip ko, abnormal ba kami? Hehe. Hindi kami ma-travel. Hindi din ma-shopping. Siguro iba lang priorities namin and we got used to it…yung matulog lang maghapon, masaya na. But of course, there are times na naiinggit din ako dun sa mga nagyo YOLO. hehe.
Kami rin naman, work in progress pa. Ang importante, ngayon, mas malinaw na sa amin ang mga priorities namin. Ang hirap kaya magbalance, lalo pag wala masyado iba-balance. Haha. Kanya-kanyang trip, ang mahalaga, doon kayo masaya. Masaya rin ako sa matulog lang maghapon! Apir! 🙂
balance.
yeah, thats the key word, indeed.
there were times that i found balance in financial aspects of my life yet consistency becomes a concern.
i guess its really important to have a potent perspective. pag aware tayo, we have personal tools to rectify imbalance and pull ourselves together before coming to a point where our finances gets whack out.
with all that have been said and shared, having a generous Provider Up There is such a big relief.
cheers!
I agree with you on that, Arnie. After finding our financial balance, the next step to take is learning how to be consistent. Kasi kung pabalik-balik rin sa dating gawi, wala rin masyado patutunguhan. Indeed, it’s a big relief that God is always there for us! 🙂
I’m definitely feeling financially imbalanced right now because our emergency funds are shot, so in order to get back on track, we need to build up our emergency funds and hold off on all unnecessary spending to make that goal happen.
I agree with you that finding a financial balance is a personal thing, and for me, I feel the balance when my savings/emergency funds are at a good level, we’re regularly setting money aside for savings/investments but we still don’t deprive ourselves of little luxuries like eating out and travel (kahit day trip lang somewhere near). In short, it’s establishing a balance between planning for the future while also enjoying the present.
That’s the kind of financial balance we aspire, too — a balance between planning for the future while also enjoying the present. We are still a work in progress and we know once we have child/children to raise, things will change pa. Sana by that time, mas malaki na rin ang income para hindi mahirap ang adjustment. 🙂
Nung nag-uumpisa pa lang akong mag-ipon mejo nahihirapan ako magbalance na yan pero ngayon hindi na. Syempre dapat may reward din tayo paminsan minsan para di nman tayo maistress sa ipon lang ng ipon para sa future. Hehe.
Korek na korek ka dyan, Cindy! 🙂
Thank you for the reminder that God is generous. Most of the time, ito talaga naghohold back sa akin to get out of my comfort zone eh kasi di ko sure if I can make it should I decide to jump to the unknown. Lalo na that we have regular bills to pay hahaha. But yes, lagi naman din pinapaalala ng Diyos sa akin na He’s in charge and He’ll take care of my needs.
For now, I think I still have that balance. It gets unbalanced every now and then pero manageable pa. Syempre minsan gusto ko ng more pa sana para magawa na rin ang other goals pero as long as steady lang, keri pa. Mahirap lang minsan pag maraming temptations hahaha. Kaya kailangan talagang i-filter din ang information (lalo na mga nakikita sa social media) para di mawala ang focus sa goals.
In God, we trust! I have the same sentiments as yours, Mylene! Andami ko magiging worries pag nagkataon. Why get out of my comfort zone if I’m already happy and thriving where I am now? Like you, gusto ko rin ng more pero pag naiisip ko naman na may kapalit din ang more na yun from me (I’ve always believed that life is a tradeoff), wag na lang, keri pa rin naman. 🙂