Investing in Philippines: debt-free

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Showing posts with label debt-free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debt-free. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Ways To Be Debt-Free: You Cannot Give What You Don't Have

translation care of google.com/translate
These words have been one of my guiding posts in my life.

Kinda confused? Let me explain why this will help you in becoming debt-free.

Let me tell you a story (This is a true story but I have to make changes to make anonymity)

Once upon a time a friend complained why her daughter’s Catholic school always has this fund raising event for example to repaint the school or to add funds to the schools endowment fund. She argues that she pays the school tuition and other bunch of school fees which should cover all the school's operation. I told her that she is right.

Then why does the school board has to make such fund raising (because every parent is force to chunk out additional fund if they are not able to sell all the tickets etc.)? This is kinda true. Well I told her that if she can afford and generous why not. She says that she can but how about those who can't and are force to do because their child is in that school.

Again I do agree with her.

And since we are discussing some issue with a Catholic school, she questions if such act is in the commandments of God or in the Bible. To that I don't have all the answers. But I remembered this words and it does answer her question.

You cannot give what you don't have.

Very true.

If you look at it is in a negative. If you are a fan of "The Secret" you would remember that negative thoughts attract negative thoughts compounding the negativity. But why would a negative phrase be useful in making you debt-free?

I remember my Logic class in college. My brilliant professor asks us to go in the board and solve some of the syllogism in our textbooks. One rule in logic is that you won’t arrive at a conclusion from two negative premises but for the sake of logic it so happens that a syllogism with two negative premises was the one I was assigned. All my classmates were looking at me if I can pull this out (by the way not to brag I have a grade of 1.25 in Logic in which 1 being the highest).

I did look hard to solve the riddle, ran possible combinations in the back of my mind to figure out something from nothing. And then it came to me. I covered the "not" words in the premises and I came out with an answer. My brilliant professor nodded.

Now if we apply the same to the one we have it will run like this:

YOU CAN GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE

But I still go back to the negative, the positive will actually bring you to another topic but equally rightful.

So why does "YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE" help you to become debt-free?

If you look at most cultures it is normal for us to help out our family members. In the book "The Millionaire Next Door" it is always mentioned how parents would still help adult children who are with a good job in helping out in their expenses by giving money from time to time and if you are a fan of Eugenio Isabelo Tomas Reyes Sanchez Jr. more popularly known as Bro. Bo Sanchez you would read in his book "My Maids Invest in the Stock Market" that his "katulong" or house helper/maids sent their wages and sometimes even advance next month's wage in order to help out family members in the province.







People who earns becomes as the TV show, Seventh Heaven, Bank of Simon. If you are the bread winner of the family and if your family or your entire clan can depend on you they become lazy and always go to you for help. On your part you keep on giving thinking it is the right thing to do. But it should not be the case. 



If the people you love keeps on depending on you, they won't be able to develop self worth because they would always say they are just this or that and not worry about it because you are there to save them. In the end you are abused and eventually be buried in debt only to satisfy your love one's wants. Just like Bro. Bo's maids before they invested in the stock market you will “advance" by making a loan.

That is why you should stick to these words:

YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE

At times we can't seem to do it because we are ashamed or don't want to be called names or we don't want somebody who referred you be ashamed. You have to be truthful not only to these love ones of yours but also to yourself. You got to accept it yourself that you don't have money to give.

As they say the truth will set you free. As I have already mentioned in the Ways to be debt-free series the very first step to free oneself from debt is to accept that you are indeed buried in debt. Accept this fact or reality; don't deny it and don't be in denial mode by telling yourself that you can always use your credit card or making a loan to buy things now and pay for it later. Always remember that borrowed money makes you the slave of the lender.

So free yourself. You got to accept your limit. You got to tell yourself and the people you love that ask for money that you have none and that you yourself are in debt. It will be very painful to hear the harsh words from the very same people you have been helping out. They will call you names; brand you miser and selfish; and ostracized you. But it is the only way.

Again remember these words:

YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE
P.S.  Just to clarify. I have another upcoming post about the reverse of this negative phrase as I have told you which is itself equally powerful that is TO GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE because you have in your possession something that is more valuable than money like love, care, time, and a lot more.




Monday, June 4, 2012

Ways To Be Debt Free: More On Emergency Fund

source: http://www.prouddoctors.com


I have posted topics about emergency fund and I would like to add some points in regards to it.

If you remember in my post 7 Rules of Stock Investing, setting up an emergency fund is rule no.5. Now besides having an extra cash for personal use and bargain buying,  one has to have emergency funds for the unexpected or unplanned events or expenses in life.

Now how does this relate on achieving debt-free status?

Well often times most people borrow money due to emergencies.

It could be a SSS Loan to cover an unexpected operation or hospitalization. A credit card loan for a plane ticket on an unexpected family emergency or "utang" to your office mate for your son or daughter's unexpected school outing. Yes you incur debts out of thin air just like magicians, payables just come out just like that.

These are the very reasons why you go from break even to broke. 

You were doing fine or okay balancing and budgeting your paycheck to paycheck and on the way of finally scrapping "savings" but as the famous commercial of the insurance company Allstate in the USA, MAYHEM just comes into the picture.




Your Emergency fund actually acts like your insurance only that this one is your very own. This fund should not be touch for your "wants" emergencies. You should not get money from this fund if you wanted to buy a flat screen TV when there is a 50% sale in SM Appliance Store. Yes it may be a bargain but it is not an emergency.

You must clearly define an emergency in order to pull out money from your emergency fund. Also you should be consistently putting in money to your emergency fund, not only when you have leftover after allocating your funds. No matter how small you put into this fund surely when the need comes it will help a lot.

So in line with your debt-free goal, make it a habit to allocate to your emergency fund.   

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Ways to be debt free: Keeping your goals


I guess this is the last step in achieving debt-free status(or should I say this is the unending step) that you and I has to do. Let us recap the steps:


If you think the rich has no problem keeping their goals because they have a lot of money your wrong. People who are truly rich(as differentiated who are just rich) struggle the same way simple person like you and me  in keeping one's goal. 

But there is a difference.

Persons who are struggling to keep their goals who are buried in debt worry asking themselves where in the world where will they get money to solve their debt problem. 

Truly rich people on the other hand worry how are they going to generate money from their money to pay off current spending.


If you have read Robert Kiyosaki or Bob Procter this is what they call "the role of money" in one's life.

For people buried in debt or financially illiterate, they work for money. Day in day out even though they have earned billions or even trillions but they are still buried in debt so they keep working for money thus they become slave of money.


What should we be doing then? We must make money work for ourselves by becoming the master of money. 

You might blurt out the Bible says "Love for money is the root of all evils" and I agree with you so you ask why then you want me to be the master of money?

Here is one truth: Money is neither good nor evil, its the person using it that is good or evil.

So let us make things straight, whether you are rich or buried in debt we face the same struggle in keeping our goals. If you are debt free your goal is to get out of debt. When you do get out of debt and become rich never ever stop keeping your goal to be debt free. Continue that goal and whatever extra you have save it and make it work for you. 

 
When you finally become rich my friend please do me a favor. As the master of money use it wisely. 

There is another truth I have learned and I want to share it to you: The best way to enjoy blessings is to share it. 

When you are at the giving end it feels so good and it creates that "ABUNDANCE MENTALITY" thus you struggle more not to get out of debt(because you are not anymore) but to make money work for you so that you can give more.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Ways to be debt free: Setting goals

Its a new year and most of us have written their new years resolution which I believe you gave up on following on Jan 3, just kidding.


Many of us can't and won't be free from debt because in the first place it was never our goal to be free from debt. That is a very absurd thinking you may say but  it is actually happening. 



So in order to not to fall to deeper manholes of debt set your goals. Put a deadline(I know nobody wants a deadline) and follow it to the letter.


 It doesn't have to be a giant step goal. As Confucius said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take it one step at a time.



The questions one has to answer are these:
1. When and how often to save?

Save in a week, in a month, or in every two weeks. 

2. Save how much?


20 pesos, 50 pesos, 100 pesos.


3. How to save.


Stop buying gourmet coffee on the way to work, cutting the cable, selling old stuff, starting a small business on the side, continuously setting aside money for a loan already paid, and so much more

Many of us really don't save. Saving doesn't have to be a one time big thing like saving your entire paycheck for this month in order for you to buy that latest phone next month.
 
Save little by little.  If you buy a Chowking breakfast meal with a halo halo the next time only buy the breakfast meal. And after buying only the breakfast meal for two weeks eat at home before going to work. 


Or if you smoke a pack of cigarette a day only smoke half the next day and the other day smoke 1/4 of a pack and on the other 1/8 of the pack until you only smoke one stick a day and probably with God's grace totally quit smoking in 6 months.
Saving abruptly just gives you a withdrawal syndrome so do it little by little until your body adjust and accepts the new lifestyle.



P.S. I have conceptualize some book project regarding savings. I will share it as soon as I start the very first pages of that book. And like I have said I am also doing it one small step at a time. I hope to see you downloading it once it is out... promise its free :)
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Chitika